


Royale Change

by detectivecaz



Category: Casino Royale (2006), James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond (Movies), James Bond - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Casino Royale, Drama & Romance, F/M, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Older Woman/Younger Man
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-25
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2018-08-17 07:46:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 63,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8135995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/detectivecaz/pseuds/detectivecaz
Summary: M accompanies Bond to Casino Royale in Montenegro, in order to keep her wayward agent in line. But will her presence help, or become a distraction for Bond? One thing is for certain, this mission will change both their lives. For better or worse, it remains to be seen.





	1. M's Decision

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tayryn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tayryn/gifts), [saye0036](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saye0036/gifts), [Lilibet2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilibet2/gifts), [MrsC](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsC/gifts), [bufan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bufan/gifts), [mysticmelodies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysticmelodies/gifts), [LadyDuchess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyDuchess/gifts).



> The original concept of this story was written in 2014, when I decided to write a different take on the 2006 version of Casino Royale. 
> 
> Thank you to tayryn for being my beta and to saye0036 for sticking by me and my stories over the years. If it wasn’t for the both of you, I wouldn’t be the writer I am today. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

* * *

M stared at the phone after Bond hung up on her again. The next time she saw him she was going to give him an earful. She just hoped he managed to stop the bomb from reaching Skyfleet, or worse blowing up the bloody airport.

Throwing the phone down on her desk, she moved to sit in her chair, trying to focus her attention on the reports that were in front of her. No matter how much she tried, she kept thinking about Bond. That man caused her more trouble than a group of two year olds. She looked up when she heard a knock at the door to see Villiers in the doorway.

"Ma’am, we just received a call informing us that Bond managed to stop the bomb."

"Thank God for that. One less disaster I have to deal with."

"However, at the hotel Bond was staying at, they found the body of Dimitrios' wife, dead on the beach."

M let out a sigh. "This just bloody keeps getting better and better."

"Not only that, Miami police have arrested Bond. They think he was the one that tried to blow up Skyfleet."

"Of course they do." She massaged the sides of her temples, trying to dissipate the headache she could feel starting to coming on.

"Get me out to the Bahamas; this whole scenario has gotten out of hand. I am sending you to Miami, to get him out. I will be at the hotel, with a team of MI6 officers. The both of you can meet me there."

"Very well, Ma'am. We have also gathered information on Le Chiffre's whereabouts."

Villiers handed her the folder he had brought in with him. She took it from him and started to skim through it.

"Our sources tell us that he will be playing at Casino Royale in Montenegro. We could get Bond in there with him; he is the best poker player this agency has. The only problem is the funds."

"How much are we talking about, Villiers?" She asked looking up from the file.

"Ten million dollar buy in, and five million re-buy."

"They don't do things cheaply do they?" She debated with herself on what to do before finally making a decision.

"All right, we will put him in the game, and to make sure he doesn't cock it up, I'll monitor him from the hotel he will be staying at in Montenegro. So I need you to cover for me while I'm gone."

"Are you sure that's wise, Ma'am? Bond won't like it."

"I don't give a rat's arse what Bond thinks or likes; I run this agency. That aside, you had best get ready. Oh and while you are at it, get someone from technical to come with us. I want Bond tagged. It will help you and I to find him easily enough."

"Ma'am."

She watched as Villiers left her office. Picking up her phone, she dialled the National Treasury. After a few rings, they picked up. She asked whether she could talk to Nigel Patterson. Placing her on hold, she waited for the familiar voice to answer.

_"Nigel Patterson."_

"Nigel its M, I need that favour you owe me. An urgent matter has come up."

_"You know I'll help when I can, M. How much do you need?"_

"Ten million, plus five million on stand by."

_"What are you planning to do? Build a nuclear weapon?"_

"You know I can't disclose that information, Nigel."

 **_"_** _I know, M." He lets out a sigh. "All right, consider it done."_

"Thank you, Nigel, you will get it repaid in a few weeks, plus interest."

_"I need to send one of my employees for security purposes, I hope you understand, M."_

"Yes, I thought you might. Make sure it is somebody you trust. I'll email you the details of where they have to meet us."

_"Very well. Take care, M."_

"Same to you, Nigel."

She set the phone back on the receiver and started to get everything ready that she would need for what lay ahead. Finally satisfied, she dialled Mitchell informing him to bring the car round front to take her home for some clothes she would need for the mission.

Grabbing her bag and coat, she left her office and made her way out of the building. The drive to her house did not take long. She quickly gathered the essentials she needed and put them in a case, then changed from her black suit into a mist green top, with matching skirt that sat below the knee with a pair of modest heels, complimented with a white jacket. Picking up her case she made her way back outside to where Mitchell was waiting with the car.

He took her case from her, and put it in the boot of the car, while M got in the back. The thought of the flight caused her to let out a groan; she never was too keen on flying long distances.

"How are we playing this, Ma'am?"

"You and a few agents will be on standby, a base will be established for you. If too many suits are swarming around the place, it will arouse suspicion."

"With all due respect, Ma'am. Would it not be more secure to have a guard in the same hotel as you? How will we know if you need backup?"

"I'll have Bond. If anything, all the attention will be placed on him, and as for the back up."

She reached into her bag, took out a small device the size of a pager, and showed it to him in the review mirror.

"My ring has a distress signal built into it, when I press it, the device will beep alerting you I need backup. The ring also has a built-in tracker, so you should be able to find me easily enough."

He reached out one of his hands for the device, which M handed over to him.

"Very well, Ma'am."

She gave him a nod, and turned to look out the window, watching the scenery pass by. It had been a while since she had last been out in the field, and she would probably have to attend a hearing if the arse-covering prigs found out about this. She mumbled a silent ‘finally’ when the car eventually stopped; the journey having felt never-ending.

She got out once Mitchell opened the door for her, and made her way over to Villiers, who was waiting by the steps of the plane.

"Did you get everything organised?"

"Yes. There will be an MI6 helicopter on site and two cars when we land. A base has also been set up in Montenegro, as requested."

"Very well, let's get this over with."

M made her way up the stairs with Villiers following behind. Taking their seats, Villiers handed over the documentation that she and Bond would need on the mission.

"There are passports for you, Bond and Miss Lynd. You will be under the alias of Emma Mawdsley."

"I take it our Miss Lynd is from the National Treasury?"

"Yes. There are also two earpieces for you and Bond, and keys for his Aston Martin DB5 that will be waiting for him in Montenegro. Train tickets are also enclosed. All you need to do is email your contact and inform him of the time so Miss Lynd can meet you. Lastly, laptop to access the CCTV cameras, I trust you know how to work it, Ma'am?"

"Yes, I bloody know well how to work it, and less of the cheek."

She placed the laptop on the table with the other documentation. They fastened their seatbelts as the plane was about to take off. Once in the air, M read over everything they had on Le Chiffre one more time to refresh her memory and for any last minute details. When she was finished, she threw the file down, and decided to try and get some sleep; she had a feeling should need it.

Before she knew it, Villiers, who told her they would be landing in a few minutes, was waking her. She hid a yawn behind her hand, and looked out the window as the sun was reflecting in. M felt the plane descend before it touched on the ground. She picked up the documentation, and laptop, and put them into the laptop bag that Villiers handed over to her. They both exited the plane, and M watched as Villiers made his way to the helicopter, while she headed for one of the cars waiting.

Getting in, she saw Mitchell sitting across from her. She took out the laptop, and sent a quick email to Nigel about the time and the train details so Miss Lynd could meet them.

She had to admit, it was a nice feeling to be away from the office and London, as she could not remember the last time she had gone on vacation. She looked back at the laptop screen and noticed she had a reply from Nigel, telling her that Miss Lynd would meet them on the train.

The car pulled up to the entrance of the hotel, and the MI6 team got out and took over from the crime scene. M walked over to the body of Demetrio's wife. The poor woman did not deserve this.

Making her way back inside, she went over to the agents analysing the CCTV footage.

"What have you got?"

"We have footage of Bond playing poker against Dimitrios. At 23:45, he leaves and goes outside. His wife and Bond follow shortly after. They go back to Bond's room, and Bond does what Bond does. He leaves at 00:14. At 01:18, a group of men enter Bond’s room and kill Solange, then dump her body on the beach."

"Do we know who these men are?"

"We have done a trace, but no results are coming up in our system."

"I thought as much. Take a look and see if you can find anything that may give us any leads. There is more here than what we are seeing."

"Yes, Ma'am."

She heard a helicopter approach. "Let's see what you have done to yourself this time, Bond," she murmured to herself.

Walking back over to the entrance, she saw Bond step out of the helicopter, and make his way over to Solange’s body. As she approached Bond, Villiers ran past her, on the verge of being sick. When she reached Bond, she took in his appearance. His face was covered in cuts, and it looked like he had not slept in God knows how long. She stopped at his side and looked back towards the body.

“Quite the body count you're stacking up."

Bond discretely looked at her from the corner of his eye. Although in boss mode, he noticed she seemed more relaxed. The Bahamas would be a good vacation for her, and seeing her in a swimsuit would be a bonus. He was brought out of his thoughts when she started to speak again.

"She was tortured first, and then killed. As you killed her husband, she was probably the only one left from whom they could get answers. Did she know anything that could compromise you?"

"No."

"Not your name, what you were after…"

"No." Bond knew that she would see right through the lie. She could read him like a book.

She turned away, and began to walk back into the hotel. Bond came out of his daze and followed her. They both made their way out the back, and began to walk along the pathway towards the gazebo.

"Dimitrios worked as a middle man, always knew how to put his hands on weapons, and people who could use them. He worked with anyone who had the money."

Bond saw a man approaching them in the opposite direction with a case.

"Oh good you're here." M motioned him towards the gazebo.

"Give him your arm, Bond."

Bond was looking at her wondering what she had planned. She opened the folder that was in her hand and showed him the photos within of Le Chiffre.

"We believe he is Albanian, chess prodigy and mathematical genius, who loved to prove it by playing poker."

Bond looked to the technician as he opened the case and pulled out a gun, which he placed on Bond's forearm. Bond felt a sharp pain, then the technician motioned Bond to place his arm in the scanner. He saw his heart rate, as well as his current location on the screen. She had him tracked. He turned, and gave her a slight smirk.

"So you can keep an eye on me?"

M looked at him indifferently, as she tried to prevent her own smirk from forming.

"Yes. That's one way of looking at it."

She turned away from him, and made her way over to the gazebo railing that was overlooking the pool. Bond watched her as she walked; taking in every curve of her body, and enjoying the view before him.

He followed her, and rested against the column next to the railing. He watched, captivated, as the sun's rays bounced off her face and hair, giving her a soft glow. He leaned back against the railing, unable to take his eyes off her. Her voice, washed over him, and it took all of his restraint not to close his eyes and just stand there lost in the sound of it.

"When they analysed the stock market after 9/11, the CIA discovered a mass shorting of airline stocks. When the stocks hit bottom on 9/12, somebody made a fortune. The same thing happened this morning, with the Skyfleet stock or it was supposed to. With their prototype destroyed. The company would be near bankruptcy. Instead, somebody lost over $100 million betting the wrong way."

"You believe that it is this man Le Chiffre." He had no doubt in his mind that it was; they would have to bring that bastard down.

"Yes, it would explain how he could set up a high-stakes poker game at Casino Royale in Montenegro. Ten players, ten million dollar buy-in, five million re-buy, and the winner takes all. Potentially a hundred and fifty million."

"Good. Then we will know where he will be. Do you want a clean kill or to send a message?"

M refrained from rolling her eyes at his obtuse comment. "We need him alive. Le Chiffre doesn't have a hundred million to lose."

"So he was playing the market with his clients' funds? They won't like it when they find out it's gone."

She lets out a sigh, and motioned with her head for Bond to follow her.

"We can't let him win this game. If he loses, he will have nowhere to run. We will give him sanctuary in return for everything he knows. I am putting you in the game; replacing someone who is playing for a syndicate. According to Villiers, you are the best player in the service."

M stopped, and turned to look at him. His face was expressionless, but his eyes showed amusement.

"You knew I wouldn't let this drop, didn't you?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, I knew you were you. You may not care about the consequences, but I do, and I am the one that gets remanded by the PM, and the other government officials, about not keeping you in line."

"You deal with them wonderfully, M."

"Don't try to pull the charmer card it won't work. You had best get your things from your hotel room; we leave for the train in an hour."

"Wait! You cannot possibly be thinking of coming!"

"As a matter of fact I am. We are meeting a Miss Lynd on the train. She has your funds for the game courtesy of the National Treasury."

Bond reached out to grab M's arm to hold her in place when she was about to walk away.

"I am not letting you come on this mission. It is too dangerous for starters, what if something happens to you? I won't be able to watch you and keep my attention on the game."

"First of all, Bond, need I remind you that I'm your boss, and what I say goes? Just because I sit behind a desk doesn't mean I can't look after myself. Secondly, I will be staying in my hotel room so there will not be any danger to me, and I will have guards on standby. It will be Miss Lynd and Mathis that accompany you; I'm merely a second pair of eyes and ears."

"Wait, was that why you put a tracker in me, so you wouldn't have to leave your room?"

"Yes. It was also payback for hanging up on me."

"I'm not going to win this argument am I?"

"I'm not even going to answer that. Look, Bond, I appreciate that you care, but you just focus on winning this game so we can get Le Chiffre, and the answers we need."

"All right fine, but you're not leaving my sight until you're in that hotel."

M rolled her eyes "For goodness sake, fine. You want to hold my hand as well so I don't run off?"

She felt his hand grip hers. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

“You asked me if I wanted to hold your had, and here’s my answer.” He held up their joined hands between them.

"We had best get that train, wouldn't want to miss it." He started to walk away. M had no choice but to follow him.

They made their way toward the helicopter that would take them to the airport, then back to London in order to catch the train that would then take them to Montenegro, a two hour journey that did not sound appealing to her. Between the long hours travelling, as well as having to deal with an egotistical Bond for the duration of the trip, she was starting to think that perhaps she was making a mistake accompanying him.

Looking down at their joined hands, M had a feeling this mission would change them in many ways; for better or worse she did not know. She just prayed that it would not end in disaster.


	2. I'm the Money

* * *

Bond and M found their seats on the train; sitting across from each other.

“You know, M, if you wanted to have dinner with me, all you had to do was ask.” He nodded towards the dinner set laid out before them.

"Would you keep your mind on the bloody task at hand, Bond? Besides what would make you think I would ask you out for dinner?"

"You're right, where are my manners? Would you care to have dinner with me tonight?"

"Obviously, since this is the only dinner we'll get till we arrive."

"Oh, M, you know the way to win a man's heart."

"I also know how to break it just as quickly."

"I bet you do."

M raised an eyebrow at that. She was on the verge of replying when a woman sat down in the seat beside her.

"I'm the money."

M watched, as Bond looked her up and down with a critical eye, and gave a small smirk.

"Every penny of it."

M rolled her eyes; she hoped she would not need to listen to these cheesy one-liners for the full mission. The young woman handed her card over to Bond, who took it and quickly read it.

"Vesper? I hope you gave your parents hell for that."

"Your boss must have some influence; I've never seen so much go out the door so quickly."

"Yes, well it pays to have contacts in high places, Miss Lynd.”

Vesper turned her attention to the voice, just realising that there was another woman next to her.

"Your boss owed me a favour from a few years ago."

"I didn't mean any offence…"

"Emma Mawdsley."

"I apologise, Ms Mawdsley."

"It's fine, Miss Lynd. To answer the question you're dying to ask, Bond; ten million has been wired to your account, which has been set up in Montenegro. However, know this, Bond, if you fail, we will have funded terrorism, and you can explain to the Prime Minister how that came about."

"Ma'am." Bond acknowledged her, then took the menu from the porter who arrived at their table; Vesper and M following suit.

After the meal, M sat quietly sipping her wine watching the exchange between Vesper and Bond. She had to admit that Bond had met his match with this one, but something did not sit right with her. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind.

"Well since you two seem to have become better acquainted, I think I will be off to bed."

Vesper got up, and moved to let M out, while Bond slowly rose off his seat in acknowledgement.

"Goodnight,M."

M gave them both a nod, then walked to her room. Bond watched as she disappeared down the corridor, turned, then entered her room, leaving his line of vision.

"Is she more than a boss?"

"No. Why, would you be jealous if she was?"

"Not every woman falls for your charms, Mr. Bond. So no, I wouldn't be jealous, even if you do have a perfectly formed arse."

"You noticed."

"Even accountants have an imagination, now if you excuse me. I think I will follow your boss's example."

Bond rose again, and waited until she was out of sight before retaking his seat. He gave a smirk before finishing his wine. Standing up, he walked down the corridor, and knocked on M's door. He waited a few moments before the door opened to reveal M dressed in a silk robe.

"What do you want, Bond?"

"May I come in?"

M let out a sigh, and stepped aside so he could enter her room. She closed the door before turning to him.

"Well, out with it?"

"I saw your face earlier, there is something bothering you. You believe there is something more to this, and that it has something to do with Miss Lynd. Am I right?"

"It's nothing, Bond; I am probably looking too much into things."

"What is it you always tell me? Trust my instincts. So what's yours telling you?"

M let out a sigh, and moved over to the bed. She sat down and looked up at Bond.

"As I said it's probably nothing, but she knew an awful lot about you in the space of a few minutes. I know you did the same with her, but you are good at reading people, it's one of the reasons you were right for this mission, as well as being a decent poker player."

"So what, you think she's a double agent working for us and Le Chiffre?"

"As I said, Bond, I'm probably looking too much into things. Just keep your wits about you and watch your back."

"That's why you're here, remember? Have you done a check on Vesper?"

M sighed. "Not yet, it will have to wait until we’ve arrived at the hotel."

Bond paced around her room. It was as plain as rooms could be with a bed and bathroom, and a few paintings on the wall.

"You like Miss Lynd don't you, Bond?"

Bond stopped, and looked toward her. “I wouldn’t go that far. She’s attractive, but that doesn’t mean I trust her.”

"Good, just as long as she doesn't distract you from your main objective, then what you do in your own time is your business."

"She won't, but there may be somebody else who will."

"Bond, we have been through this, I won't be anywhere near you."

"That won’t stop you from being in my thoughts."

M was unsure of what he was trying to say. He could not mean… no that would be ridiculous. She cleared that thought from her mind; it was the craziest idea she had thought of. She was old enough to be his mother. He probably meant he would worry about what would happen to her in his absence.

"Yes, well, you had best keep those thoughts separate."

"That will be difficult when I know that you 're only going to be a few floors up from me. I don't think you realise how much you mean to me. You are more than my boss. I trust you because you always put up with my shit, when you could just drum me out of the service. If I lost you, there would be no one."

M did not know what to say. She felt the bed dip beside her as he took a seat next to her.

"How long have you felt like this, Bond?"

She looked at him, trying to read what was going through his mind.

"A few years now. Vesper asked me if you were more than my boss. I told her no, but I wish you were."

"You do realise that I'm old, Bond; that I could pass as your mother. A relationship between the head of MI6 and agent is unprofessional. It wouldn't be allowed."

"We wouldn't have to tell anyone. No one would have to know. Your age is irrelevant, it always has been. I am not asking you to say yes right away, or to jump into bed with me. All I am asking is that you at least think about it. I'll respect your wishes whatever you decide."

M saw the sincere look on his face. "Okay, I'll consider about it. This mission is first priority; we can discuss this matter afterwards."

Bond gave her a small smile. "That's all I ask."

He stood, and made his way to the door. "Oh, Bond, before I forget."

He turned around, and saw M pick up two manila envelopes. She walked over and handed them to him. He gave her a questioning look.

"I was going to wait until we were at the hotel, but since you're here, may as well give them to you now. One contains passports for you and Miss Lynd, and last minute details."

"And in the other?"

"Let's just say if you wreck it, it's coming out of your pay. Since the government wouldn't pay for it, I paid for it myself, and had Six modify it."

Bond opened the envelope, and noticed an earpiece and a set of car keys. He read the memo that was also inside.

_Bond,_

_These are the keys to your Aston Martin DB5. If you wreck this car, I will keep my promise and have you shot._

_In the glove box, you will find your gun and silencer, as well as a medical pack that contains two syringes and a defibrillator. Let us pray you do need to use the latter._

_M_

"I love you too, M," he mumbled aloud, looking up from the memo.

"Nice try. That won't stop me from having you shot, Bond."

"I mean it. I do love you, M."

M stood rooted on the spot.

"You don't need to say it back, and I don't need to hear it. The car tells me enough."

"Bond…"

"I know, we will deal with it after the mission. Thank you though."

Before M knew what was happening, Bond's lips were on hers. She tensed at first, and then began to respond. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him in place. He smirked to himself, before wrapping his free arm around her waist, pulling her closer. She let out a small moan at the unexpected move. His lips left hers, and she felt him press small kisses down the path of her neck.

"Bond… we have to stop," she told him, feeling out of breath.

Bond groaned, and lifted his lips from her neck, but kept his arm around her waist.

"We can't do this, not now."

Bond gave her a hopeful look. "But we can do it again?"

"I'll make you a deal. If you behave on, and complete this mission without demolishing everything, especially the Aston Martin, then maybe we can continue whatever this is between us."

Bond grinned. "I think I can do that," he said against her lips, then gave her another quick kiss before he pulled away, and removed his arm go from around her waist; her arms slipping from around his neck.

"Goodnight, M."

He turned, about to open the door when he heard her voice.

"Goodnight… James."

He looked back over his shoulder, and gave her a genuine smile, then left the room, closing the door behind him.

M had a feeling this mission was going to be a long one, and she could not wait until it was over. She climbed into her bed, and put out the light before rolling on her side. She closed her eyes, and let sleep claim her.

/*\\*/*\

The next day, the three of them made their way to the car waiting to bring them to the hotel. M tried not to listen to the bickering between Bond and Vesper. As soon as the car stopped, she got out and, and made her way into the hotel. She could still hear those two bickering, and it took all of her control to not to roll her eyes. Once she was checked in, she pocketed her room key, then turned to face the pair behind her.

"Your car is in the parking lot, and Mathis is meeting up with you both later," she informed Bond. "And, Miss Lynd, do try to keep him out of trouble; his over sized ego can cause problems."

"I shall do my best."

M gave both of them a nod before making her way to the elevator that would take her up to her room. Entering the lift, she pressed the sixth floor button. A few moments later, the doors opened, and she made her way along the corridor to her room. When she finally located her room, and was about to unlock the door, she heard raised voices down the hall.

Looking to the sound, she saw Le Chiffre walking out of his hotel room, arguing with someone she assumed was one of his men.  

Swiping her key card, she quickly entered her room. If Bond knew her room was three doors down from Le Chiffre, he would have a fit, so she decided she would keep that little detail to herself. It would also allow her to keep an eye on him. She heard a knock at her door and looked through the peephole to see a porter with her luggage. Opening the door, she let the man drop her luggage before giving him a tip. Once he had left, she took out her laptop and set it up.

With a few clicks, she brought up the hotel's CCTV cameras. Once she was satisfied, she picked up her mobile, and pressed three on her speed dial. After a few rings, she got an answer.

"Villiers, I need all the information you can send me on Miss Vesper Lynd. The quicker you can send me it the better."

_"Consider it done, Ma'am."_

She gave her thanks, disconnected the call, then made her way to the bathroom.

Turning on the shower, she undressed, then stepped inside letting out a sigh as the warm water touched her skin as she felt herself start to relax. She thought over everything that happened on the train between her and Bond. Truth be told she was torn about what she should do.

On one hand, Olivia knew she should dismiss Bond’s declaration of his feelings. Even if they were legitimate, it was unprofessional, and emotions had a nasty habit of compromising the job. On the other hand, Olivia knew, deep down, that she had feeling for James as well, and that thought scared the hell out of her. There was also the fact that she was old enough to be his mother. Feeling the water start to go cold, she turned off the water, got out of the shower, and towelled herself off.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she tried to see what Bond saw in her. All she could see was an wrinkled old woman's face staring back at her. She next looked down at her body, and saw all the imperfections she had gained with age. How Bond could class her as someone he would want to be with was beyond her.

Wrapping the towel around herself, she stepped into her bedroom, got a fresh set of clothes out, and changed into them. Once dressed, she dried and styled her hair, then finished by applying some make up to her face. With one final look in the mirror, she headed over to the phone to order some food.

Sitting on the sofa, she knew she had already made her decision on what should happen between her and Bond. She would chance it and see how it would go, if she didn't, she would probably regret it for the rest of her life.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard a knock at her door, and a voice telling her it was room service. She let the porter in, and thanked him once he’d placed the tray on the small dining table. Once he was gone, she began to eat.

Once she had finished, M looked at the clock, and noticed she only had two hours before the first game would start. She just hoped that it went smoothly, but she knew that would be too good to be true. Nothing ever went smoothly when James Bond was involved; she just hoped he did not let his oversized ego screw everything up. If he did, they would all be looking for new jobs.

 


	3. The Game Begins

* * *

The two hours went by too quickly for M's liking. Grabbing her ear piece she put it in, and accessed the CCTV feeds on the laptop.

"Bond, can you hear me?"

_"Loud and clear, M."_

"Good, remember what I said, don't let your ego get in the way, otherwise you won't stand a chance."

 _"Thanks for the confidence,"_ he sarcastically replied.

M looked back at the video on her laptop screen, taking in the appearance of everyone that was there. She watched as Bond entered a password for the account, before the other players followed suit.

"I hope you made that password fool proof, Bond."

_"Let's just say if anyone mentions it aloud, you can have them shot."_

She sat there in stunned silence; the bastard used her real name as the bloody password.

"Are you deranged? Do you have any idea what you've done?"

_"Relax, M, no one will find out. Trust me."_

"You had better hope they don't. Otherwise, you will be joining them. Do I make myself clear?"

_"Crystal."_

M tapped her fingers against the table in annoyance, her attention still on the screen, watching as the game started.

It progressed slowly with Bond winning a few rounds, but she could tell he was getting cocky. She saw Vesper enter, and play her part, before walking over to the bar where Mathis was waiting.

She heard Bond order a dry martini, and had to refrain from rolling her eyes as he told the barman the way he wanted it.

"Are you done, Bond?"

_"Not yet."_

She looked back at the screen and watched Bond eyeing up Vesper.

"For god sake keep your mind on the game, and stop thinking with your cock."

_"Why, M, one would think you're jealous."_

"In your dreams, Bond."

_"Well now that you mention it, you have appeared quite a few times in them."_

M didn't know what to say to that. She traced his movements as he made his way over to the bar. 'What the hell is he doing?' She could feel the jealousy come to the surface as he started to kiss Vesper.

"Well now you've got that out your system, get back to that table, and play the bloody game."

_"Yes, ma'am."_

M had to refrain from hitting something at the cockiness in his voice. She said it once and would say it again, it would be his downfall one of these days.

She watched as they played for a few more hours before they called a break. She watched as Le Chiffre got up and left the room. She followed him on the camera, and noticed he was heading for the lift.

"Bond, Le Chiffre is at the lift, I think he's going back to his suite."

_"You want to take me to our room and do what to me?"_

M rolled her eyes; she shook her head and looked back at Bond on the CCTV.

"Bond, leave Miss Lynd, it's too dangerous."

_"She'll be fine, better she's with me so I can keep an eye on her."_

M saw Le Chiffre enter her floor, and enter his room.

"Bond he's just entered his suite, room 628."

_"Wait! Did you say 628? When were you going to tell me that you're only three doors down from him?"_

"That matter is irrelevant. He doesn't know who I am, so I can keep an extra eye on him."

_"That's beside the point, M."_

She turned to the CCTV, and noticed Bond had picked up the pace; all but running to the elevator.

M could hear the commotion coming from the suit down the hall. "Bond, you may want to hurry, seems someone isn't too pleased with him."

_"Don't leave your room, M, that's an order."_

M watched as Bond came out of the elevator with Miss Lynd behind him. She wished that one day he would bloody listen to her. Now he had to worry about not only the men in Le Chiffre's room, but Vesper as well. She heard Bond whisper to Vesper to get back to the elevator. M watched as the lift doors closed before she could enter.

"When I give you an order, you bloody well follow it!" she angrily told him through the comm.

She made her way to her door and opened it, looking down the hall towards Bond and Vesper.

"You two, get in here now!" M told them with authority, keeping her voice low.

They both ran to her room, Bond just managing to shut the door before they heard Le Chiffre's door opening.

Bond pressed his ear to the door, and looked through the peephole to see two men walk past.

"You two stay here; I'll be back in a few minutes."

They both watched as he pulled out his Walther, and attached the silencer that was in his pocket, before he left the room.

"He's going to get himself killed." The frustration in Vesper's voice was how M was feeling.

"I agree with you on that note."

M went back to her laptop, and watched as Bond and the men started to fight in the stairwell. Bond put a bullet in one, then focused his attention on the other man with the machete. Both men continued to fight, M telling Bond to move just as the machete came down, nearly taking off his arm. Vesper and M looked on as each man continued to throw punches, until Bond ran into him, and both tumbled down the flight of steps to the floor below; the two men continuing to fight for their lives. She looked around the area, and saw Bond's gun within reaching distance.

"Bond, get your gun, it's to your right!"

She watched as he looked over to where she told him, but his opponent saw what he was doing and got to it before he could. A shot rang out as Bond scrambled to get the gun from his hold. He wrapped one of his arms around the man's neck in a chokehold, while his other was trying to get the gun. They wrestled for a few moments, M watching as Bond used all his strength to force the gun to Obanno's neck, forcing the man to pull the trigger. There was another shot, and M watched in relief as the bullet hit its mark. Bond let go of the body, and stood up looking up towards the CCTV camera.

"I'll call Mathis and tell him to get rid of the bodies. Now get back up here so I can see to those injuries."

She rubbed her temples with her fingers, trying to prevent the headache that she could feel starting.

M turned to Vesper. "You may as well sit down."

She picked up her phone and called Mathis telling him about the bodies. She hung up once he said he would take care of it. Making her way into the bathroom, she brought out the first aid kit she had brought with her. She’d had a feeling she would need it where Bond was involved.

Vesper got up to answer the door when she heard the knock. Seeing Bond on the other side, she let him in, her eyes widening at his now bloody shirt and face.

M walked out of the bathroom first aid kit in hand, and pointed at Bond. "You, sit."

Bond sat down on the sofa, and watched as M sat on the table in front of him. Opening the first aid kit, she brought out a wipe, opened it, then started to clean the cuts on his face. He let out a hiss as the alcohol made contact with one of the cuts.

"Miss Lynd, could you get a towel and a bowl of hot water from the bathroom?"

She watched as the young woman did as she had asked before M turned back to the man in front of her.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"Hopefully clean me up."

M continued cleaning his cuts, as Vesper came back, and placed the bowl of water and the towel next to her.

M tossed down the wipe, dipped the towel in the water, and rung it out before wiping the dried blood from James’ face and hands.

"Open your shirt."

"If you wanted to see me naked all you had to do was ask." He gave her a smirk.

"And if I wanted sarcasm, Bond I would have asked for it."

He took off his jacket, unbuttoned his shirt, and removed it. His torso was covered in cuts, the deepest one on his left side. She noticed that bruises had already started to form. No doubt, they would be visible by the morning. She dipped the towel back in the water, watching as it swirled red, before she resumed in her task.

"You know, M, if you ever think about a job change; you could always work as a nurse." He let out a wince as M pressed down none to gently on the cut she was currently cleaning.

"What was that?" M raised an eyebrow at him.

"On second thought, maybe you should just stick to keeping wayward agents in line."

He watched as she took out a dressing and applied it to his side. She ran her hand over the top of the bandage, to flatten it down touching his skin as she did. He could feel his body start to respond to her touch, and it took all his will power to not pull her in close, and kiss her with an inch of her life.

M could feel his eyes on her, but she paid them no attention.

"That's the best I can do, you had better get dressed, then go to your room and change your shirt."

She dropped the bloodstained towel on the table, stood up, and watched as he started to get re-dressed.

"When were you going to tell me your room was the same floor as Le Chiffre?"

"Not this again. Look, Bond, he does not know who I am, so I am in no danger. You worry too much. Just focus on that game."

"I don't like this. It's too risky."

"What's life without a little risk? You of all people should know that. Now go and get changed, the game is about to re-start."

M watched as Bond and Vesper left her suite. Shaking her head, she gathered up the towel, the bowl of bloody water, and the first aid kit, and brought them into the bathroom. She quickly cleaned them up, then returned to the main room, and resumed her seat in front of her laptop. She watched as Bond made his way back into the gaming room, and took his seat at the table.

"Where is Miss Lynd?"

_"She decided to stay in the suite, I think tonight was too much for her."_

"I wonder whose fault that could have been?" she told him sarcastically, as Le Chiffre started to say something to Bond. She let out a groan in annoyance at his response.

_"I won't consider myself in trouble till I start crying blood."_

"For Christ’s sake, Bond, don't antagonise him. That's what he wants." She heard him let out a huff in response.

She often wondered if he was a child in a grown man's body with the way he acted.

She watched on, as the remainder of the game continued without any mishaps. She only hoped tomorrow would be the same.

 


	4. The Lunch Date

* * *

M awoke the next day to the sound of someone knocking on her suite door. She looked at her watch, and noticed it was nearing noon. Getting out of bed, she made her way to answer it, and let out a groan when she saw Bond on the other side, before opening the door.

"What do you want, Bond?"

He pushed passed her and made his way into her room.

"Do come in why don't you." Letting the door close, she walked over to the sofa and sat down.

"So out with it, why are you here?"

"I wanted to say thank you for last night, I never got a chance to say it."

M raised an eyebrow at him. "You came all the way to my suite to tell me that?"

"Well that, and I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch with me?"

"I thought you said I wasn't to leave my room?" The sarcasm in her tone didn't go unnoticed by him.

"I said you couldn't leave your room by yourself, I didn't say you couldn't leave it without me."

"What about Miss Lynd, do you not want to have lunch with her?"

"No, I want to spend the afternoon with you."

M was secretly touched. He may be a pain in the arse at times, and overbearing, but he did know how to make one feel special.

"Fine, let me get dressed. You're buying though." She pointed at him.

"Fine by me, consider it our first date."

"Are you serious?" M let her finger drop; surely, he was not serious. She looked at his face for any trace of amusement, but she could not find any.

"I mean it, M. Now go and get ready. As much as I love you in your nightwear, clothes would be much better for our date." He winked at her.

Still wondering what an earth had just happened, she made her way to her room to get washed and dressed. She modestly applied some make up, before walking back to meet Bond.

"Does this meet your approval?"

Bond turned and stared at her. She wore a modest knee length white summer dress adorned with red roses over, showing off her curves and some cleavage, complimented by a quarter length white cardigan and modest heels.

"Gorgeous." He walked over to her giving her a quick kiss.

"And, flattery won't get you anywhere. Now lunch."

Bond grinned, and took her hand, guiding her towards the door.

"I need my room key."

"I have it."

"Of course you do."

They made their way to a restaurant not far from the hotel, both enjoying small chat and a lovely lunch. M at first thought it would be awkward having lunch with one of her agents, especially Bond. However, she could not deny she was enjoying herself. He made her feel at ease. She could not remember the last time someone had made her laugh as much.

"So, what do you suppose we do now?" He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Not what you're thinking. It will take two dates before anything happens."

"So if I ask you out tonight for dinner…?"

"Nice try, Bond; that won't work. Besides you need to keep your mind else where."

He reached his hand across the table, and took her hand in his, entwining their fingers.

"I'll keep that in mind, and you can drop the 'Bond' when we aren't working." He winked.

"Well at least we are getting through that thick skull of yours… James."

Bond gave her a mock pout, and M bit her lip to stop herself from smirking, looking out towards the street next them.

"I suppose we had best head back."

"Only if you want to. We could take a run in the Aston; it is yours after all."

"Do I get to drive it?" M asked curiously, waiting for the 'no' that would come.

"Why not? It is yours after all; but I never pegged you for driving an Aston."

She leaned across the table, causing her cleavage to be more visible from the dress.

"There are quite a lot of things you don't know about me, James, but if you're good, I may let you find out more." She sat back and laughed silently to herself at the look on his face, which showed intrigue and excitement at the prospect.

He asked for the bill and they walked back to the hotel car park. Stopping in front of the Aston, Bond dangled the keys in his hand.

"Are you sure you can handle her?"

She reached out, and grabbed the keys. "Get in."

Bond smirked and got in the passenger side of the car. "You may want to put on your seat belt."

"I'm sure I'll be fine."

M shrugged her shoulders. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

He turned to her and raised an eyebrow "How bad can it…"

He did not get a chance to finish as M put her foot down on the pedal, and they were speeding out of the car park.

“Bloody hell, woman!” he exclaimed, then reached for his seatbelt.

M chuckled, and drove round the streets. Bond watched as she skilfully manoeuvred in and out of cars with ease. He should not be surprised; she was certainly different from all the other women he had been with in the past, and much more mysterious.

After driving about for an hour, they found themselves at the beach. They both got out and looked at the view in front of them. The blue water glistened as the sun reflected off it, the sand contrasting beautifully against it.  

"So, how did I do?"

"Next time, I'm wearing more than one seat belt. When did you learn to drive like that?"

"I learned myself. I had a friend who owned his own car racing company. I would take one of the cars and just drive around the track. The faster the better, for a few hours I forgot about everything, just enjoying the moment."

She came out of her thoughts when she felt Bond’s arm around her waist.

"You are full of surprises, M."

She could hear the fondness and wonder in his voice.

"Well, I like to keep you on your toes." She looked up at him, giving a small smirk.

"You certainly do that." He picked her up, and placed her on the bonnet of the car, quickly claiming her lips with his.

M let out a moan when she felt Bond's tongue enter her mouth. She grabbed onto his shirt pulling him in close, while spreading her legs so he could stand between them. He pulled her closer to him, causing her to wrap her arms around his neck. She could feel a tingle over her body where his hands touched her. Her professional side was telling her she should end whatever this was between them, but she ignored it. It had been years since she felt like this; she was enjoying it while it lasted.

"You are full of surprises yourself, James," she told him breathlessly, after they broke the kiss.

"You know me. I try my best."

"So I've noticed". She nodded in the direction of his erection.

"Yes well, that's your fault; you shouldn't be so bloody gorgeous and irresistible."

"I have been called many things, but irresistible has never been one of them."

"Then they're bloody fools." He held her close, enjoying the comfort of her in his arms. M let her head rest on his chest. She had to admit she could get used to this; he certainly knew how to make her feel special.

"As much as I would love to stay here…"

"Why don't we? We don't have to head back for a few hours yet."

M lifted her head from his chest, and looked up at him.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Let's take a walk on the beach. We might as well enjoy it while we have the chance."

"It's been years since I was at the beach."

"Well then, we need to change that, don't we?"

He pulled her in for another quick kiss, before lifting her from the car, and placed her back on the ground.

"I wish I had thought of this earlier; then I would have got to see you in a swim suit."

She noticed he had a thoughtful look on his face; and could guess what he was thinking. It was only ever one thing when Bond was involved.

"Well, once you're done ogling me up in that swim suit in your mind. Can we please get a move on?" He shook his head as he looked at her. "I was just getting to the good part."

"Do I even want to know?"

"Probably not, let's go." He grabbed her hand, and pulled her in the direction of the beach.

Once there, M let go of Bond's hand to remove her shoes. She could feel his eyes on her. Holding her shoes, she looked over to him. “What? Have you ever tried to walk in sand with heels? It's a nightmare."

He laughed. "I'll take your word for it." He removed his own shoes, and took M's hand once more with his free one.

They strolled along the beach; both enjoying the sun and the feeling of the sand against their feet. The made their way over to the water, and let the waves cover their feet while looking into the distance: only seeing the clear blue sky and water stretching for miles.

"It's beautiful isn't it?"

She turned to look at him, and gave a sad sort of smile. "I sometimes envy you. You get to come to places like this for weeks on end, while the rest of us are stuck behind a desk."

She turned to look back out into the distance.

"It would be nice to spend more than a few days in a place like this without having to think about reports or deal with government officials on a daily basis."

"You could, after this mission is over with, you could spend a few days here on vacation. You deserve to take a break now and again."

"It's tempting. But it would be boring on my own." She turned back to him trying to stop a smile breaking free.

"Why M, are you asking me to join you?"

"What would your answer be if I was?" She asked curiously.

"As long as I get to have that second date with you, you have a deal."

"I suppose I can agree with that. It had better be a good one though, to make up for all the grief you caused me last night."

He gave her a soft look, and placed a kiss on the back of her hand.

"I promise you it will be a night to remember."

"When you're involved, James, I have no doubt it will be." She looked at him fondly, giving him a genuine smile.

"I'm not sure whether to take that as an insult or a compliment." He gave her a pout at the insinuation.

M let out a laugh. "I would definitely take it as a compliment." She leaned up, and gave him a kiss, before moving her lips close to his ear. "I may also wear that swim suit for you as well, if you play your cards right."

He could feel his cock stir at the thought of seeing M in a swimsuit. Her seductive tone in his ear was not helping matters either.

She pulled back and gave a smirk. "I take it you like the idea."

"Christ’s sake, M, you're a bloody tease."

"Trust me, James, you haven't seen anything yet, and on that note, it's time we head back."

She tried not to laugh, she always knew which of Bond's buttons to push, just the same way he knew how to push hers.

"Fine, but as soon as that game is over, and Le Chiffre is in custody, we're taking that break, even if I have to kidnap you in order to do so. "

“You’re determined to see me that swimsuit, aren’t you?”

"Too bloody right, just as much as I'm determined to see you out of it."

M diverted her attention away from him, and instead focused on looking out to the sea. That part she was not looking forward to. She did not want to see the look on his face when he saw her aged body. She herself did not find it very appealing, why someone thirty years her younger would want to see it was beyond her.

"I know what you're thinking, M. You may see yourself as old, and your body being imperfect, but you couldn't be more wrong. You are beautiful right down to the last line on your face. You have curves that many would be, and probably are envious of. What you have to realise, is young or old, nobody's body is perfect, M. But do you know what makes yours perfect in my eyes?"

M turned to look at him with a curious look as she waited for his answer.

"Yours is all natural, which makes you even more beautiful. They always say you get more beautiful with age, and the proof is standing right in front of me."

"You really see that?" Her tone was one of disbelief.

"I see that and so much more. I hope you realise that yourself one day, but if you don't I'll keep telling you until you do."

She did not know what to say. He had a way with words; she would give him that. Only now did she realise that there was more to James than what she knew. She only ever saw him as Bond; an irrational thug with a trigger-happy finger. She did not know him as James, but she would like to.

"There's still much I don't know about you, James. I guess I only ever see you as Bond, the agent and not the man underneath the armour."

"But now?"

"Now, I think I would actually like to get to know the real James."

He gave her a genuine smile, which she returned and they both started to walk back along the beach. Once they reached, the stone path they both put their shoes back on.

"I love the beach, but the sand is bloody annoying afterwards," Bond moaned, as his sand covered foot rubbed against the sole of his shoe.

M gave a chuckle at that. "It probably would have helped if you’d dusted your feet off first."

"Yeah well… that's beside the point."

M fondly shook her head at his antics as they walked over to the parked car.

"I'll let you drive us back. Just try and not to cause any accidents on the way there."

"Don't worry M, I'll keep her in one piece."

"At least now I know that the sarcasm is also apart of James and not just Bond," she mumbled to herself.

They both got in the car, and Bond started the engine.

M raised an eyebrow in disbelief at the way he was driving. She knew she had told him not to cause accidents, but this was ridiculous.

"I got you this car so you could drive it, not take a bloody stroll in it!"

He looked at her, and gave her a smirk before putting his foot down, and took off down the winding road.

"That's more like it. I was beginning to wonder if you had lost your touch."

"No chance of that, M."

Her laugh went straight to Bond's groin. _'This woman will be the death of me'._

Bond parked the car in the hotel car park, and then they made their way back into the hotel. They both got in the elevator, Bond pressing the button for the sixth floor.

"I'm not taking any chances."

M shook her head, and humoured him; she did not want to start an argument after a lovely day.

Upon reaching her suite, James handed M her key card which he picked up earlier.

"Thank you for today, James, it was nice to not think about work for a few hours."

"Pleasure was all mine, M." He took her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it.

She gave him a small smile, swiped her key card and entered her room, before turning to look back at him.

"Oh before I forget, good luck for tonight, and remember what I said."

Bond gave her a smirk in response and watched as the door closed behind her before making his way back to the lift. He did not see the blonde woman watching him as he went, or the way she looked over to M's suite. She would have to tell Le Chiffre about this latest development. Nothing could jeopardise their plans.

 


	5. A Deadly Outcome

* * *

Once the door had closed, she leaned her back against it. M could not stop herself from smiling; she had not felt this happy in years. The prospect of spending time away with Bond… no James she mentally corrected herself, was appealing. She could not deny it any longer, she was starting to fall in love with him, if she had not already done so.

She made her way across the room toward her laptop. She checked her emails to see if Villiers had sent her the file she asked for. Finding no response, she let out a huff of annoyance.  'How hard can it be to find a file?'

She reopened the CCTV cameras, and watched as people began to enter the card room, and went straight to the bar. She rolled her eyes, and looked for any sign of Le Chiffre.  At that moment she heard a small squeak of sound from the earbud on the desk.  She grabbed the earpiece, and put it in her ear.

_“M, are you there?”_

"I'm here, Bond. Is everything all right?" She tried to keep her voice level, but there was a hint of worry.

_"Everything is fine; I just wanted to thank you for the lovely afternoon, but the fact that you are worrying about me is touching."_

She didn't need to see him to know that he was probably grinning like an idiot.

"It's lucky you aren't with me, James. I would be wiping that grin off your face."

_"How the hell do you know I'm grinning? I'm not near any cameras," he asked her confused._

She grinned herself. "I have my ways."

_"Nothing gets past you does it?"_

"The majority of the time, no it doesn't."

M heard him give a small laugh over the com, before his voice turned serious.

_"Any sign of him?"_

"Not yet, a few of his men have just entered though."

_"Why is it that I have a feeling tonight isn't going to go as planned."_

"If you keep talking like that it probably won't. Just try not to lose too many chips tonight. I don't think Miss Lynd will buy you back in."

_"He knows. I don't know how he's doing it, but luck isn't on your side that much."_

M let out a sigh.  She knew Le Chiffre was cheating, but how he was doing it, she had no idea. She would not be surprised if he had an implant in his eye that could scan through cards. She got rid of that ridiculous thought.

"I know. If you lose, I will try to persuade Miss Lynd to buy you back in, hopefully it won't come to that."

_"I hope not."_

She watched as Bond entered the room with Vesper on his arm. The doubts she’d had earlier came back to the surface as she saw how well they went together. A part of M was still waiting for the moment when he would tell her that he had changed his mind about them. That was why she was hesitant to give in to her feelings, as it caused her to think about them, rather than keep her mind on the job.

M kept her eye on the couple before the parted ways, and James took his place at the table just as Le Chiffre made his way into the room, and over to the table to take his seat.

The com went silent as the game started. She looked at each of the screens, noticing that Le Chiffre's blonde companion was missing. She would worry about that detail later; there were more important matters just now. Her attention went back to the game, and she heard James’ huff of annoyance.

"Keep calm; concentrate."

They continued to play, each placing a bet higher than the next. Her eyes widened when Bond bet everything he had. _'He can't be bloody serious?'_

"What the hell are you doing, are you mad?"

She didn't receive an answer, and continued to look at the screen, seeing him bang his fist on the table.

"I bloody told you not to let your ego get in the way, Bond! You may want to ask for that buy in!" Her anger was reaching boiling point, how could he have been so reckless.

M heard his side of the conversation with Vesper, she knew the woman would not buy him back in. She did not blame her, especially with the way he was playing. She watched as Bond made his way back inside only to be stopped by Felix, watching the exchange with interest. She lets gave a relieved sigh; he got the buy in after all.

"Don't blow it this time, Bond. I mean it, or you can kiss your Double-0 status goodbye, as well as that date."

_"Yes, Ma'am."_

She watched on, satisfied as Bond won his next few games in a row. There was still hope yet. She heard him order another Martini, and shook her head. She looked away from the screen when her phone beeped, missing Le Chiffre's companion at the bar, with a small vial which she poured into his drink.

_ 'Found file, sent to your email.' _

She would look at it later. Turning back to the screen, she saw Bond take a mouthful of the martini, but could tell something wasn't right. He began to look uncomfortable, and she could hear a change in his breathing. She watched as he moved away from the table, grabbing a glass and a saltshaker, as he bolted from the room.  M looked to the bar, seeing the blonde woman give a smirk, and then it clicked. 'Shit, he's been poisoned.'

"Bond, you need to get yourself to the Aston! That's an order!"

She ran from her room, and down the hall to the elevator. She pressed the ground level and wished for it to go faster. When the doors finally opened, she ran to the parking lot where Bond had parked the Aston earlier. Making her way around to the passenger side, she saw one of the empty syringes on the floor and the unmoving body of James. She looked at the paddles on his chest and defibrillator, and noticed one of the wires had come loose. Replacing the wire, she waited until the machine gave a beep before she pressed the button.

His body arched, and he let out a gasp. When he opened his eyes, she let out the breath she did not know she was holding.  M heard him murmur a 'thank you', no doubt to the medical team at headquarters. She was ever more thankful now that she had him chipped.

"Are you all right?" M anxiously asked him. She could still feel her heart beating erratically in her chest.

She stepped back as he stood up, removing the pads from his chest and the device from his wrist as he did so.

"Never better." He shut the car door, and started to button up his shirt.

"I'm sorry, James. I wasn't paying attention. Villiers contacted me about a file."

She felt his hand on her arm and looked up at him.

"M, it's not your fault. You got to me in time that's what matters."

"What if I hadn't?"

"Well, we won't know, will we? Regret is unprofessional."

M gave him a nervous smile.  "You've been waiting to say that to me for a while haven't you?"

"Most definitely." He gave her a kiss on the cheek.  “Now let's beat this bastard once and for all."

She gave him a nod, and both of them made their way back inside, only to be stopped by Vesper at the reception.

"Are you all right? What happened?"

M gave him a discrete nod, she would leave it for him explain what happened, and she made her way back to her suite.

Once at her door, she reached into her pocket for her key card realising she left it in the room.

"Shit."

_"What's wrong?"_

"I've left my key card in my room. I can't get in."

_"Go to reception, they will have a spare. And, M, be careful."_

She made her way to the reception, and saw no one at the desk. _'Bloody typical'._

Letting out a sigh, she made her way to the game room. Making her way inside, she looked at the table, and saw it was only Bond and Le Chiffre still in the game. Looking around the room, she spotted Mathis and Vesper, and made her way over to them.

"M, you're looking radiant as ever, would you like a drink?" Mathis enquired, as small smile on his lips.

"No thank you, Mathis. What's been happening?"

He did not get the chance to answer her when they heard Bond say he was all in. She closed her eyes. She hoped he knew what he was doing. Re-opening her eyes, she looked over to Bond, and saw him look her way, and give a distinct smile, before calmly looking back at his opponent.

"Congratulations, Bond." M quietly told him through her earpiece. She watched as Le Cheiffre got up from the table and looked straight at her, before pushing past the crowd that had gathered.

The look he’d given her was full of malice, which she found odd, as he couldn’t have known who she was.  She pushed the thought from her mind, and gave Bond a small smile as he approached them.

"I thought I told you to get the spare key card." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I would have if there had been someone at the desk."

"Well since you're here, we may as well celebrate."

"Not me, Bond, I have a few calls to make. It was lovely seeing you again, M." Mathis placed a small kiss on her cheek, before walking away. 

"So it looks like our quartet is a trio."

"If you don't mind, Bond, I think I'll see if I can get that spare key card and call it a night,” M told him.

Bond's face went from happy to serious in a few seconds. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, just the day catching up with me. I'm not exactly young anymore."

He shook his head fondly at her "We'll walk you out."

M nodded, and made her way over to the exit with Bond and Vesper behind her. They got to the main foyer and noticed the receptionist was back. She made her way over to the desk.

"I've left my key in my room, can I have the spare?"

The woman smiled and went to get the spare, and handed it to her. M smiled in thanks, then turned back to Bond.

"Go and get a bite to eat, and I'll see you both in the morning."

"Maybe I should walk you back."

She was touched that he cared for her well-being, but she wished he would stop worrying all the time.

"I'll be fine, Bond."

He nodded, and watched as she turned and walked away. He could feel an uneasiness creep in the pit of his stomach.

"She'll be fine, James; they would have to be stupid to mess with her." Vesper placed a hand on his arm and gave him a smile.

Bond chuckled at that. Her words could not have been more true.

/*\\*/*\

M approached her suite. Swiping the key card, she entered her room, closed the door close behind her, then walked over to her laptop.  She closed the CCTV, and opened the file on Miss Lynd that Villiers had sent her. She quickly skimmed over the information, but stopped when she read that she had a boyfriend; a French Algerian. As she read on, more pieces began to click into place.

"So much for sending someone you trust, Nigel," she mumbled to herself. She would have to inform Bond about the latest development.

Closing the file, she made her way to her room. Switching on the light, she saw the woman who had poisoned Bond earlier sitting on her bed.

"How the hell did you get in?" She prayed Bond still had his earpiece on while trying not to let her worry show. She discretely pressed the stone on her ring with her thumb, to alert Mitchell to get his arse over here.

The woman didn't answer, and M noticed her give a smirk over her shoulder. Before she knew what was happening, she felt a strong-arm wrap around her chest and a cloth was placed over her mouth. The sweet odour reached her nostrils and she held her breath. The smell of chloroform was unmistakable, but there was also a hint of something stronger mixed with it. Whatever it was she could feel it begin to take effect. M tried desperately to break from the tight hold, but it was no use. She could feel her body start to weaken and become numb. The room started to spin and her eyes felt like weights as she struggled to keep them open. The sound of Bond's voice in her ear was the last thing she heard as darkness claimed her.

Valenka looked on as M struggled trying to break free. She had no doubt in her mind that this woman was someone you didn't cross. However, when she found out she was the Head of MI6 they knew she had to go; she knew too much. The same would have to go for her agent, and that other woman that was with them. She watched satisfied as she finally succumbed to the drug.

"Take her to the car. She's meddled enough in our affairs."

He merely nodded, and lifted the now unconscious M over his shoulder, and made his way from the suite with Valenka following. She looked around the room and noticed the laptop on the desk. Walking over to it, she closed the screen, picked it up, and made her way over to the door. She took one more look around the room, and gave a smirk before leaving, letting the door close behind her.


	6. Capture and Torture

* * *

Downstairs, Bond was in the restaurant with Vesper, quietly conversing while he ate and drank. He held up the drink and looked at it.

"I think I'll call this the Vesper."

Vesper looked at him with intrigue. "Because of the bitter aftertaste?"

"No, once you've tasted it, you can't get enough."

Vesper let out a small laugh, and looked to her phone, noticing she had a message.

"Mathis wants to meet me out front to discuss some things. Congratulations again on your win."

He stood up as Vesper left the table. Sitting back down, he was about to take another drink when he heard M's voice in his ear.

_"How the hell did you get in?"_

Dropping his drink, he wasted no time in running to the elevator. Rushing inside, he pushed the sixth floor.

"M! M, talk to me!"

He heard her struggling through the com. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest as he willed the elevator to go faster. Once it reached the sixth floor, not waiting until the doors had fully opened, he pushed through them, then ran down the corridor to M's suite. 

Taking out his gun, he shot at the lock. Making his way inside, he noticed her laptop was gone, and there was no sign of M.

His eyes widened. Mathis. Not bothering with the elevator, he took the stairs, making his way out front.  He heard Vesper scream, and saw some men push her into a car. He jumped over the small rail and made his way to the Aston.  Starting the car, he put his foot down, tearing out of the car park, making his way down the winding roads that he and M had driven along earlier that day. Rounding the corner, he slammed on the brakes, manoeuvring the car so as not to hit Vesper. 

He could feel himself being tossed from side to side as the car tumbled down the hill, before resting upright. Everything was foggy, and he found it hard to breathe. He felt himself roughly pulled from the car, and a sharp pain in his arm, before being dragged back up the hill, and placed in another car. He sat upright, and saw Vesper next to him. Turning, he looked across to the other set of seats, and saw the unmoving form of M.

Valenka noticed the worrying look on his face when he saw the body of the woman next to him, and smirked.

"She's still alive, for now."

"Let them go… they have nothing to do with this." He found it hard to speak, each breath causing a new pain in his chest.

"In fact they have everything to do with this!"

Bond sat back, and never took his eyes from M watching her chest slowly rise and fall with each breath she took. He had no idea where they were going or how long they were driving.

"We're nearly there; you had better wake the woman."

Bond watched as the blonde-haired woman took a small bottle from one of the men in front, and placed it under M's nose, moving it from side to side. M groaned, as she slowly began to regain consciousness. When her eyes finally opened, she looked over and could see the blurry bloody face of James staring back at her.

She tried to sit upright, but her body still felt weak and dizzy from the effects of the chloroform.

The car eventually stopped and the doors opened. M watched as one of the men pulled Bond from the car, then Vesper from the other side. M felt the blonde woman grab her arm and pull her up; her head swam at the sudden movement, as they dragged her from the car.

The building in front of her, from what she could make out, was a warehouse of sorts; she just hoped they would make it out alive. The hand gripping her arm got tighter as she and her captor began to walk towards the entrance. If it were not for the hand gripping her arm, she would surely have fallen.

The door slammed behind them, and M saw Le Chiffre standing in front of her. She could hear Vesper struggling with her captors to her left, and saw Bond in front of her.

"Strip him, and tie him to the chair. As for the woman here, she can stay and watch the show.”

She felt her hands being none too gently bound behind her back, before being pushed forward so she was standing right in front of Bond, her captor holding her in place. Looking towards him, she saw he was trying to compose himself, his face set in determination for what was to come. Her eyes widened when she saw Le Chiffre with a long piece of rope which had a knot at the end. Bond looked at her, his eyes gave nothing away, but she knew deep down, he was worried what would happen to them.

Bond bit his lip to stop himself from letting out a scream as the rope made contact with his body.

"I never understood all these torture methods people use, when the simplest ones can cause much more pain. If you do not tell me what I want to know, I will ask your lovely boss here. I'm sure she would be willing to tell me."

"She doesn't know the password. Touch her, and once I get out of this chair I will kill you."

"You are in no position to make threats, Mr Bond."

Le Chiffre swung the rope again He still did not scream, but let out a grimace at the impact; his breathing started to come out in harsh pants. M could only watch. She fumbled with the ropes binding her hands, trying to get her hands free.

"Miss Lynd will give me the account number if she hasn't already. So all I require from you is the password."

"You're going to be here for a while!" 

Angered, Le Chiffre brought the rope back up and hit him harder. Bond gave a laugh to hide the pain.

Once he recovered, he looked straight at Le Chiffre.

"No matter what you do to me, I won't tell you the password, which means your clients are going to hunt you down and cut you into tiny pieces while you're still breathing."

M nearly had her hands free of the ropes, she only had one knot left. She bit her lip, ignoring the ache in her thumbs, and the rope burns that were probably going to be on her wrists.

"I think it's time we showed Mr Bond what happens when he doesn't cooperate."

M watched as Le Chiffre walked towards her. She heard Vesper in the room off to the side let out a scream.

“I never expected to have the head of MI6 in my presence.  I feel privileged to have the honour.”

"I wish the same could be said about you, but then again, I've never been a fan of thugs."

M watched as the smirk disappeared. He raised his hand, and backhanded her across the face. M felt her cheek sting at the blow and could taste blood in her mouth. She looked over to Bond, who was seething, before turning her attention back to Le Chiffre, showing no trace of fear.

"I'm going to enjoy breaking you, piece by piece," he told her, an inch from her face.

The door opened, and she saw the blonde woman return, with her laptop in hand.

"What have you found, Valenka?"

"It seems they have been keeping tabs on you for sometime, she has been watching our every move at the hotel."

"Well, there appears to be more to the Head of MI6 than just sitting behind a desk."

"If you kill me, it won't matter, someone else will take over and finish the job."

"Perhaps, but I wouldn't be so sure as to trust everyone you work with. I'm afraid your friend Mathis is also my friend Mathis."

"And that over-confidence of yours will be your downfall."

M stared at him as he let out a laugh.

"I wouldn't count on it."

“Boss, we’ve got the account number.” 

M watched as two of Le Chiffre’s henchmen entered, dragging Vesper between them, followed by two others.

"Excellent. It seems Miss Lynd cooperated after all." He never took his eyes from her.

"You have the account number, but no password. I don't see much achievement in that."

Le Chiffre walked back over to Bond and kicked him in the chest, causing the chair to fall backwards. M heard his head smack off the ground.

It was then she heard noise coming from outside of the room, she watched as he withdrew his gun causing the others to follow suit.

"You four check it out." He motioned to the men that were with Vesper.

They left, leaving Le Chiffre, Valenka, herself, Bond and Vesper.

There was gunfire in the distance that appeared to be getting closer.

"Stay and watch them." Le Chiffre withdrew another gun and handed it to Valenka, who nodded.

M waited until Le Chiffre left the room, before turning to the blonde woman.

"You do realise that he is just using you as a means to an end. After he gets what he wants, he will either dump you like the garbage you are or kill you."

It got the reaction she had hoped.

"You know nothing!" Valenka screamed at her.

"About you?  You're right, I don't. Him on the other hand, I could tell you more than you probably know."

Valenka advanced towards M while keeping the gun pointed directly at her.

"I will look forward to killing you," she hissed at M.

M watched as she pulled the safety back on the gun, the click echoing around the room.

As she was about to pull the trigger, M brought her hands up, and wrestled with her for the gun, causing a shot to be fired into the air. Valenka pushed M away from her, making M to stumble. She quickly aimed the gun at her and fired. M moved out of the way, before running into her, knocking them both to the ground. They continued to wrestle for the gun. M slowly gaining the upper hand. Slamming Valenka's hand on the ground, her grasp loosened and she managed to pry the gun from the other woman’s fingers. Slowly getting up, she kept the gun pointed at her.

"Try anything and I won't hesitate to pull the trigger. Now get up!"

Valenka slowly rose from the ground. Once she was standing, M whacked her with the butt of the gun knocking her out cold.

Turning her attention from her, she made her way over to Vesper. Upon approaching her, she noticed the woman had bruises and cuts over her face and body.

"Are you all right?"

She gave a slight nod; M could tell she was in shock.

"Stay here, while I check on Bond."

Vesper noticed the red stain on M's cardigan.

"You're bleeding."

"What?"

She looked to where Vesper was staring and saw the blood on her cardigan sleeve.

Taking off her cardigan, she looked at the wound on her arm and noticed it was just a graze. Valenka's bullet just missed her.  Better a graze than having an actual bullet stuck there, she thought to herself. From what she could tell, it did not look serious and would eventually heal; she was more concerned about James' welfare.

Carefully replacing her cardigan, she made her way over to Bond, keeping pressure on her wound. Now that the adrenaline was starting to wear off, her arm felt like it was on fire as the pain started to make itself known. Upon reaching Bond, she knelt down beside him.

"Bond." She tapped his cheek to get him to wake up. His face was a mess, covered in bruises and cuts. His torso in a similar state, and she knew it would take time for him to recover from this.

She continued to tap his cheek while calling his name. She let out a relieved sigh when he groaned.

"That's it. Open your eyes."

She watched as his pain filled eyes slowly found hers.

"M?" It was nothing more than a painful whisper.

"I'm here; we're going to get out of here." She softly caressed his face with the pads of her thumbs.

She needed to get him out of the chair. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned to see Vesper next to her. M could see the look of horror on her face at seeing Bond the way he was, but there was a hint of determination there as well.

"What do you need me to do?"

"We need to get him in an upright position so we can get his hands free."

Vesper nodded and made her way to the head of the chair. M rose from her kneeling position and followed suit.

"We need to try to keep him still while we do this. I don't want to cause him any lasting damages if he has internal injuries."

Vesper nodded, and the two women bent down and put one hand on the head of the chair and the other on his shoulder to keep him still.

"Ready?"

She made her way around to the back of the chair, bending her knees and gripping the chair pulling it up from the ground. Her eyes watered as she felt the wound on her arm being pulled from the effort. Disregarding the pain, she crouched down, and untied his hands.

"Can you stand?"

She watched as he rose from the chair, swaying where he stood. Vesper placed her hands on him to keep him steady, while she looked for his clothes.

"Are you both all right?" The roughness and pain in his voice did not go un-noticed by both women.

"A few cuts and bruises, but nothing too serious," Vesper told him, giving a small smile to hide her worry for him.

"What about you, M? I heard shots." He closed his eyes to try and stop the dizziness that was overwhelming him.

"I'm fine, Bond, but I don't think the same can be said about Le Chiffre or his men." 

She spotted his clothes, bent down, picked them up and brought them to him. She and Vesper helped him get dressed in what remained of them.

Bond noticed the red stain on her cardigan and grabbed her hand to stop what she was doing.

"M, tell me the truth… have you been shot?" He appeared to become more alert at the prospect if she had.

"It's just a graze. I'll be fine, let's just focus on you."

He could feel the guilt creeping up on him. It was his fault she was shot. He couldn't protect her, and now she was injured.

M looked at him and could see the anguish in his eyes. She knew he would blame himself for this mess and she was right.

"I can assure you, James, this is not your fault, so you can stop blaming yourself right now. If it's anybody's fault, it's Mathis’.  He was the one that got us into this mess."

"I was supposed to protect you.  Some agent I am if I can't do my bloody job."

She was about to answer him when the door to the room banged open.

They turned to see Le Chiffre run in, and slam the door behind him; locking it. They watched as he looked to Valenka on the floor, before turning his attention to them and raising his gun.

"It looks like none of us are going to get out of here alive."

She felt Bond grip her hand which was still holding the gun. Giving it to him, he stepped in front of Vesper, and pulled M behind him, just as Le Chiffre pulled the trigger.

Bond hissed in pain as the bullet hit him in the shoulder. Raising his own gun, he fired twice; hitting Le Chiffre in the chest, watching satisfied as he fell to the ground.

Lowering his own gun, he felt himself sink to the ground, as the pain became too much for his already abused body.

"James!"

He could hear M calling his name in worry through the fog that was clouding his brain. His eyelids were like weights as he fought to keep his eyes open.

Vesper knelt down, and put her hands over the wound on his shoulder in an attempt to stop the bleeding, while M ran her fingers through his hair telling him to keep his eyes open.

‘Where the bloody hell is Mitchell?’ M thought.

There was a grunt behind them. M turned her head and saw Le Chiffre aiming his gun at her. She quickly grabbed the gun from Bond's grasp. A shot fired outside the room before the door was kicked open. Gun in hand, she turned and pulled the trigger. 

 


	7. The Calvary Arrives

* * *

M watched as the bullet struck Le Chiffre in the head before quickly aiming the gun towards the doorway.

"Don't shoot."

She let out a sigh of relief as she saw Mitchell standing in front of her with other agents making their way into the room.

M felt her gun hand shake and looked down towards the gun realising she had just killed someone. She let the gun drop to the floor and closed her eyes. Her mind was caught between satisfaction that he was dead and regret that she took a life, even though the bastard did deserve it. 'Regret is unprofessional' she kept thinking repeatedly in her mind, willing herself to believe it.

"Ma'am, are you all right?"

Taking a few deep breaths, she opened her eyes, putting on her boss persona to hide the turmoil that she felt. The last thing she needed was for her agents see her lose her nerve.

M nodded. "I'm fine, Mitchell, help Bond."

She looked over to where Bond was laying on the ground with Vesper kneeling over him, keeping pressure on his wound.

"Get the medical team in here stat." He looked over his shoulder at one of the agents who nodded.

He turned back to M and it was then he noticed the blood on her cardigan sleeve. M let out a hiss in pain as he took her arm in his hand and looked at the wound.

"It looks worse than what it is. What I want to know is what the bloody hell took you so long? I gave you that device to make your job easier!"

The annoyance in her voice spoke volumes, whether it was due to Mitchell's incompetence, or her own, or the adrenaline wearing off, she didn't know. It was probably a mixture of all three. The whole mission was a mess. _So much for bringing Le Chiffre in for questioning,_ she thought to herself. They still had Valenka at least.

"Apologies, Ma'am, we had some trouble of our own, someone knew about our location. They probably attacked us in order to delay us, which means there is a mole."

"It would seem that Mathis was working with Le Chiffre as well as us, but no one knew of your location, except you, Villiers, Bond, myself and the other agents who were with you."

M looked around the room at the agents who had come with Mitchell; it could be anyone of them. The thought did not sit well with her. There seemed to be more questions than answers. Then there was the matter with Vesper. She would have to talk to her and find out what she knows.

"Did we lose anyone? I suppose you didn't keep any of the assailants alive?"

"We were more concerned about finding you quickly than keeping them alive. Thankfully we didn't lose anyone this time."

M nodded in acknowledgement, and looked back towards Bond. She could have lost him. The thought alone weighed heavily on her heart. She wanted to hold his hand, to offer him comfort, only she couldn't with so many agents and Mitchell close by. There wasn't an inch of him that wasn't covered in cuts or bruises.

She moved out the way when she noticed the medical team making their way over. The quicker they got out of here, and she knew Bond would be okay the better she would feel.

"I need to look at your wound, Ma'am."

The voice broke her out of her thoughts, and she noticed the medic in front of her. She did not hear him approach.

"What?"

"Your wound, I need to look at to see how bad the damage is." The medic noticed her attention kept focusing on the medics next to her working on Bond.

"He's in good hands, Ma'am, now let me examine your wound."

M sighed, and carefully started to remove her cardigan, wincing as the fabric clung to the wound, tearing at her skin as she did so. She felt gloved hands on her arm as the medic looked at the damage feeling around the area.

"There is no bullet which is a good sign, but I need to clean it and bandage it. I'm ordering a full examination to ensure no damage has been done."

She knew there would be no getting out of it, and simply gave a nod to signify she understood. 

"This will sting."

M smelled the alcohol from the wipe and braced herself for what was to come. As soon as the wipe touched her skin, it felt like her arm was on fire. _'Christ this is worse than the actual wound.'_  She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out.

She let out a sigh of relief when it was finally over, and the wound was bandaged.

"This will have to do for now until we get to the hospital," the medic told her, packing up his supplies.

M stood, and watched as they loaded Bond onto a stretcher now that he was stable and ushered him out the room. Vesper following behind.

"Ma'am, we had best get you to that hospital."

"Very well." She let the medic guide her from the room, looking one last time at the dead body of Le Chiffre, before stopping in her track, and turned to Mitchell who was behind her.

"I want you to take care of everything here, question Valenka find out what she knows. Then I want you to find Mathis, keep him alive.  We need answers. After that meet me at the hospital, I want a full debrief on everything you have found out."

Mitchell nodded in acknowledgement, and as he turned to the other agents, M left the room. 

M was relieved when she felt the clean air hit her, as they made their way over to the helicopter that was waiting for them. She sat on the nearest seat, and strapped herself in next to Vesper, never taking her eyes off the man in front of her.

"What are his stats?"

"From what we could tell; three cracked ribs, severe bruising, a concussion and some damage to his genitalia."

M closed her eyes. "What about the gunshot wound?"

"It wasn't a through and through, he will need surgery to remove the bullet, then various tests to see if there is any muscle or nerve damage."

She prayed there would not be any complications. If there were, it would be partly her fault for coming on this mission with him.

"He's got a good chance of recovery, Ma'am. From what we know about his reputation it will take more than this to end him."

M had to bite back a smile at the truth behind the words, but it still did not lessen her worry for him. The travel didn't take long, but it felt like hours to her. She felt the helicopter finally descend, before touching down.

They carried out James first and M watched as they placed him on the gurney, before the doctors and nurses wheeled him inside, faintly hearing one of the doctors telling them to get him to the OR.

"Let's get you both checked out for any other damages," the medic told them, jumping down first, then helping both Vesper and M.

They both followed him inside, and watched as he spoke to the nurse, while M took this time to talk to Vesper.

"I know you know who is behind this mess." M looked at her, and saw her eyes widen in panic.

"I don't know what you mean." She quickly denied it, not even attempting to look M in the eye.

"So you just happened to know so much information on someone you just met on a train for the first time?"

"It was merely luck; I don't know who is behind this." Vesper knew herself that the woman next to her would see through the lie.

"I know you're lying, I can tell from your body language alone. If you tell us who you are working for we can help you."

M waited for her to say something. When Vesper said nothing, M continued.  “You have been helping whoever it is you're working for to finance them in terrorism that alone will cost you your job, not to mention you will likely never see the light of day again. Is that what you want?"

Vesper could feel the palms of her hands sweating. She knew she was in deep, and there was no way out of this. If she did not tell M what she knew, she would be deemed a traitor and imprisoned, and if she did, White would kill her, as well as her boyfriend.

M watched as she placed a hand over her necklace, lost in thought. "I take it your boyfriend gave you that necklace."

Vesper looked at her a questioning look. "How did…"

"I've read your file; your boyfriend is a French Algerian. They are blackmailing you; his life for the money. They already knew the account number as you gave it to them before we were taken. This means they only needed the password. It was a set up, they roughed you up a little to make it look like you were a victim, I guess in a way you are."

M looked over to the medic who was now making his way back over to them with the nurse in tow.

"Ask yourself this though. How do you know your boyfriend isn't in on it? You have access to government funds, what a better way to attain them than by using blackmail saying they will likely kill him if you don't follow their orders."

Vesper traced the love knot on her necklace with her hand.

"Think about what I've said, Miss Lynd, hopefully you will make the right decision."

The medic and nurse reached them just as M finished speaking.

"Are you all right, Miss?" the nurse asked Vesper, taking in her pale pallor.

"I'm fine, just tonight's events catching up with me." She partly lied.

The nurse nodded, then told M and Vesper to follow her. Vesper wanted to get away from M as fast as possible; she needed to think as M's words continued to play around in her mind.

M looked on, knowing she would need to keep an eye on her.

"You're in good hands, Ma'am."

She gave the medic her thanks, then followed the nurse and Vesper. She just wanted to sleep and forget about everything for a few hours. The throbbing pain in her arm was not helping matters.

Upon reaching the private wards, the nurse directed Vesper into one of the rooms, and M in the other, telling each of them to put on the hospital gown, and someone would be with them in a few moments.

They watched as the nurse walked away before Vesper turned to M. "If I tell you what I know… they will kill me."

The trace of fear in her voice didn't go unnoticed by M.

"We can protect you.  If you help us, no one needs to know of your involvement. If your boyfriend is in on it, who's to say he will not use other women in intelligence agencies after he and the organisation have got what they need from you?"

"And what if he isn't in on it? What do I do then?"

"You play along; they will be none the wiser that we know." M knew it was a big risk, but it was the only way. They did not negotiate with terrorists.

"Fine, I'll tell you what I know, but not tonight."

M knew she would have to agree. "Fine, first thing tomorrow then, no later. The quicker we know the quicker it will be over with."

Vesper gave her a nod, and made her way into her room closing the door. M shook her head.  At least they would be getting somewhere she hoped. Making her way into her own room, she changed into the hospital gown just as there was a knock on the door. M sighed, and told them to come in.

M watched as the doctor entered, followed by a nurse with a medical trolley.

The doctor walked towards M who sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm Doctor Zara Lange and I will be conducting your examination. How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted and there is some pain in my arm, but apart from that I feel fine."

The doctor nodded, and put on a pair of rubber gloves before taking M's bandaged arm in her hands, then carefully started to remove the bandage. Once removed, the doctor turned to the trolley, took a gauze sponge, dipped it in water and started to re-clean the wound.

Once all the blood had been removed from the wound, M noticed the wound did not look as bad as she’d thought.

"You're lucky. There doesn't seem to be any tissue damage. I am putting you on a course of antibiotics to prevent infection, and your bandages will need to be changed regularly but you should be fine in a few weeks.

M nodded at the doctor as the nurse re-bandaged her arm, and gave her some morphine for the pain, which M welcomed gladly.

"Your face will likely bruise tomorrow, is it causing you any pain?"

M shook her head; she forgot that her face would bruise from the slap Le Chiffre gave her. There was no pain, which she was thankful for. But she knew the left side of her face would be tender for a while.

"All right, I want you to start taking the antibiotics first thing tomorrow.  A nurse will bring them with your breakfast. If you need anything just press the button behind you and someone will come. I'll let you get some sleep."

"Do you have any news on Bond?" M asked her, hoping she could tell her something.

"He's still in surgery; I'll let you know as soon as I can when I find out more. He's in good hands. Now try to get some sleep."

M murmured her thanks, mindful of her arm, and lay down on her right side. She watched the doctor and nurse cross to the door, and they turned out the light just as they left the room, leaving her in darkness except for the faint glow coming in through the window.  Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes willing herself to sleep while her thoughts lingered on James, wondering if he would be okay. 

 


	8. Vesper's Confession

* * *

M awoke the next morning to the nurse entering her room, carrying a tray with food and her medication, which she placed on the bed table.

"How are you this morning?" The nurse inquired.

"A little sore, but nothing I can't handle."

M sat up against the pillows, and looked at the food in front of her. It didn’t look too bad.  Whether it tasted any good was another matter altogether. There was one thing that she wanted to know and she hoped the nurse could tell her.

"Have you any news on Bond?"

"I have. The bullet was removed successfully and didn't cause any long lasting muscle or nerve damage. On top of that, he has cracked three ribs, and obtained a mild concussion that we are monitoring. We currently have him sedated in order to give his body a chance to heal, but he will make a full recovery. However, he won't be able to work for a while."

M closed her eyes in relief at the news he would make a full recovery.

"He was hit a few times on his genitalia. Will…"

"There is no lasting damage there either, although he will be sore for a while. Now, stop worrying, and eat your breakfast. I'll arrange for you to see him later."

"Thank you."

The nurse gave her a smile, and checked her bandage. Once satisfied, the nurse left, and M started to tuck into the food in front of her. The food was not too bad, she had to admit, but that was probably due to her not having had anything to eat since yesterday afternoon.

Once finished, she took her medication and washed it away with the water. She would need to get her clothes from the hotel; she could not exactly walk around in a hospital gown for the remainder of her stay here.

She picked up her dress, and changed into it, leaving the cardigan that was now ruined. She would have to talk with Vesper, and then get Mitchell to debrief her on everything that he had found out. She only hoped it was good news.

What she could really use was a long hot bath, but it could wait, she had more pressing matters to deal with. Making her way into the bathroom that joined her room, she made her way over to the sink and splashed some water on her face, then looked up into the mirror. Her eyes immediately went to the dark purple bruise that was visible on her cheek. She doubted any makeup would be able to conceal it; even if she had any at the moment.

Deciding her vanity could wait, she left her room and walked the short distance down the corridor to Vesper's room. Acknowledging the agent standing guard, she knocked on Vesper's door waiting for the younger woman to answer. M was about to knock again when the door suddenly opened.

M took in the other woman's appearance. It looked like she hadn't slept.

"You had better come in."

Vesper stepped back and allowed her entry, closing the door behind her.

"How are you feeling?" M inquired hoping she wouldn't feel threatened by her.

"I've been better, but we both know why you're here. I said I would tell you what I know. You don't have to pretend to care."

M looked at the young woman in front of her. She knew the look she was harbouring. It was a look of defeat. If she did not know better, she would say Vesper had given up.

"You're right, of course, but if I didn't care at least a little, I wouldn't have asked. I know we haven't seen eye to eye, but your safety is important to us."

Vesper moved over to her bed and sat down, motioning M to the seat in front of her.

"Where do you want me to start?"

"At the beginning is usually the best place."

"Very well, I first met Yusef in Moscow when I was working there. We met in a bar; I was having a rubbish day, and just wanted to drink it away. That was when Yusef noticed me and we got chatting."

"What did he tell you about himself?"

"He said he was an accountant and worked in finance. I had no reason to doubt him. I found someone who was in a similar business to myself. So, I told him about my job, that I worked with government funds. If anyone knew what kind of day I had, he would."

"Did he seem interested in your job?"

"Yes."

M let out a sigh. "And, you didn't find this suspicious? You told someone whom you had barely known for a few minutes what you actually did for a living."

Vesper looked away. "I’d had too much to drink, plus I felt I could trust him. After that, he walked me back to my room and I invited him in, and well as you can imagine one thing led to another."

M couldn't fault the woman; from what she could gather she didn't have many friends in the National Treasury, none she could talk to anyway.

"I awoke the next morning expecting him to be gone, but he was still there. Most men would leave, but not him. I thought that he was different after all. We spent everyday together, until I had another job to carry out. I gave him my number and we kept in touch, even meeting up when we were in the same country."

"It seems that you really care for him."

"Of course I do! Just like you care for James. Don't think I haven't noticed the way you both act around each other. You're both more to each other than a boss and employee!"

"Perhaps you're right! But we are not here to discuss my private life, we're here to discuss yours. So, if you could please continue, because the quicker you do, the quicker we might be able to find a way to save him should he have nothing to do with this whole mess”

"Very well. We met up again in Vienna I had a two week leave owed to me. We made the most of it while we could. It was then he gave me the love knot necklace, and told me our love was infinite. The time seemed to fly by and before we knew it, we had to go our separate ways."

Vesper rubbed her hands together, from either nerves or worry, she didn't know. It was something she had hoped she would never have to tell anyone, so much for that theory. She couldn't help resenting M a little.  If she weren't here, chances were she would have that money all sorted by now.

"It was a few weeks later that I got the phone call from Yusef saying that he was in trouble and that he needed money to pay off some debts. I forged some accounts and sent him the money. I thought it would only be a one off. That was when I got a call three weeks later; I thought it was him as I hadn't heard from him since he told me he was in trouble."

"I'm taking that it wasn't him."

Vesper shook her head. "No. They said if I didn't deposit ten million in a month’s time, then they would kill him. When I heard that you had called I immediately knew that this was the best course of action. Nigel hadn't known about the other forged accounts. To him I was just another glorified accountant that stuck to the rules."

"Did they say who they were when they contacted you?"

"They said that they worked for Quantum. That's all they told me at first, but they gradually seemed to open up once they knew I would cooperate."

"I need a name Miss Lynd."

"He called himself, Mr White, but that's all I know. That and they..."

"What?"

"They're in the shadows.  Government officials, personnel; they have people everywhere. I wouldn't be surprised if some of your agents are Quantum members. Nowhere is safe. You can't trust anyone- not even James."

M sat there in silence; this ran deeper than she originally thought. Christ, how she missed the Cold War.  At least back then they knew who their enemies were. But this- this was something else. Could she trust Bond? He had more or less proved himself, but now there was a nagging doubt in her mind.

"I take it they didn't let on to any members in MI6?"

"No, why would they? They prefer the element of surprise."

"And Le Chiffre was part of this organisation as well?"

"Yes, I was working with him to help get the funds, but White was only using him as a means to an end. If we never got the password, then the next point of action was for me to seduce and pretend to love James until he entered the password. Then I would leave and they would let Yusef go."

M had to hold herself back from slapping the woman in front of her. She had no doubt James would have fallen for her charade. Then where would they be?

"You actually think they would make it this easy? As you say, they like the element of surprise. They get the money, pretend they have killed him and they all walk away, isolate themselves for a time, then do the same routine all over again."

M stood, and paced the room.

"You don't know that!"

M stopped, and turned to her. "I can assure you, they are not the first organisation with this vendetta. We've encountered ones like the before, and believe me they are all the same."

"So, what are you going to do with this information? It's not exactly like you can contact them!"

"No, but I have no doubt in my mind that you can."

The silence was suffocating.

"I can't do that! They will know something is amiss, then what? The chances, of you actually catching them will be harder than what it is now!"

M knew she had a point, but they needed to bring this organisation down.

"All right, I'll look into it and see what I can find on this Mr White. However, if nothing turns up you are contacting him unless he contacts you first."

Vesper let out a sigh of relief.

"Remember, Miss Lynd you're on a deadline. Fail to give them what they want, chances are if your boyfriend is innocent, he's as good as dead."

M made her way over to the door. She would leave the woman to her thoughts. "You know where to find me if you do decide to call this Mr White."

Leaving the room, she turned to the agent standing outside Vesper's door.

"Keep an eye on her at all times, do you understand?"

The agent gave a small nod of his head. "Of course, Ma'am."

Satisfied, M made her way back to her own room. She just got to the door when she heard Mitchell calling after her.

She just got to the door when she heard Mitchell calling after her.

"Have you found anything out?"

"We have had a bit of a problem."

"In here."

She opened the door, and made her way inside with Mitchell following behind her.

"So, what problem do we have this time?"

"Our prisoner has committed suicide."

"How the bloody hell did she manage that? You and a few other agents were supposed to be watching her!"

"It was poison; she managed to conceal a vial of it."

She sat on the bed. "Please tell me you got some information from her at least?"

"We managed to get a name, but that was all.

"Which was?"

"You're not going to like it, Ma'am."

"Oh for God sake just tell me!"

"The name she gave us was Villiers."

"This has to be some kind of joke."

"I wish it was, but think about it, Ma'am, who else knew of our location; delaying us to get to you? He arranged most of this mission; he knew every detail."

"Does he know we know he's a mole?"

"Not yet. How do you want to play this?"

"Get a hold of Tanner, tell him his vacation time is over. I want him to drill Villiers for everything he knows. Christ, is there anyone we can trust?"

"Ma'am?"

"It's nothing. Get me a laptop; I also need a change of clothes."

"I'll get on it right away, Ma'am. As for your clothes. I packed a bag for both you and Bond. They're at reception."

"You went through my things?"

"Forgive me, Ma'am, but I felt you could both use your own clothes."

M didn't know whether to be disturbed or thankful that he saved her a trip. The idea of her bodyguard going through her clothes was unnerving to say the least. She let go of that thought, if she kept thinking everyone had an ulterior motive she would become paranoid.

"Thank you, Mitchell. Have you retrieved Mathis?"

"We're still looking for him, Ma'am. He won't have gone far. We will find him. I should also mention that the CIA is pissed they never got Le Chiffre alive."

"Of course they are. They'll get over it. At this moment in time I couldn't give two shits about the CIA. They are the least of my concerns."

"Once we have a pin point on Mathis, I'll let you know. I'll be back with that laptop later, Ma'am."

"Thank you, Mitchell. Let Tanner know I apologise, that he had to be dragged away from his vacation, but this is more important."

"I will do, Ma'am."

Mitchell knew a dismissal when he heard it. He left the room, leaving M to the new piece of information.

M couldn't believe Villiers of all people was a part of this. She hoped Tanner would be able to get information from him. There was a knock at her door and she had to stop herself from shouting.

"Come in."

The door opened to reveal the nurse that brought her breakfast a few hours ago.

"You can see Mr Bond now if you like, Ma'am. I'll take you to him."

M rose from the bed, and followed the nurse who took a left to reveal a corridor similar to that of the one that situated her room. They walked past five doors before stopping.

"He's still unconscious, but you are welcome to stay with him as long as you like. A familiar voice may be what he needs."

"Thank you."

"I'll leave you to it. Press the call button if you need anything."

M watched the nurse walk away before taking a deep breath, then opened the door, and let herself into his room. She stopped, and took in the sight of James lying still on the bed, the oxygen mask over his mouth; and took in all the cuts and bruises that covered his face. She gently closed the door behind her, made her way over to his bed, and sat down on the seat that was there.

"You certainly know how to get yourself into a mess don't you, James."

She took his hand in hers, mindful of the IV that was there. She could just make out the bandaged wound on his shoulder where the bullet had penetrated. If he hadn't moved her out the way it would be her nursing the shoulder wound or worse. Guilt was eating away at her, how could she think for even a moment that Bond could be a part of Quantum? Right now, it felt like he was the only person she could trust, except maybe Tanner and Mitchell. However, even now Mitchell was starting to make her doubt her trust in him.

 “I could really stand to hear some of your smartarse comments about now.”

There was no answer, but then she didn't really expect there to be. It was ironic how she wished he would shut up earlier, but now she would give anything just to hear his voice.

"It seems that vacation we planned will have to wait. So, it looks like you will have to wait to see me in that swim suit a while longer."

She reached up with her other hand and ran her fingers through his hair, a small smile on her lips. She could picture the look on his face when she told him that while he was awake. Then there was the fact he couldn't go out in the field. It really was one thing after the other. Her actions faltered when she heard him murmur something through the mask.

"James."

"M?" Her name came out as a groan, no doubt due to the pain and the mask obscuring his speech.

"I'm here."

She felt his hand tighten around hers in a firm grip.

"Mathis?"

"Don't worry about him at the moment James; I have agents looking for him."

"He was here."

"What?"

James reached up with his free hand, removed the mask from his mouth, and turned his pain-filled eyes towards her.

"I woke up for a few seconds and I saw him."

If that was the case, he was nearer than she thought. She would have to inform Mitchell to post an agent at all entrances and exits.

"Are you sure, James?"

"Positive."

"I need to tell Mitchell."

"There's something else you're not telling me, M."

"I'll fill you in later, James."

She saw him let out a grimace as he moved slightly.

"Are you in pain?"

"A little."

"That usually means a lot then." She reached over to the wall and pressed on the call button.

"I'm fine."

"I don't believe that for a moment." She put the mask back over his mouth.  "And this was placed on you for a reason."

He gave a weak smile; he could get used to this. It was nice having someone care about his well-being. Although, he had no doubt in his mind's eye that M had always cared for him, even if she did not openly display it in the past.

He diverted his attention to the door when he heard the handle turning, suddenly on alert, while M let go of his hand.

"Relax, James, it probably the nurse."

"Ah, Mr Bond, finally awake. How are you feeling?" The nurse walked over to the bed.

M watched as he relaxed back on the bed. "He's in some pain, even though he would probably not tell you that. "

She moved out the way so that the nurse could adjust the drip, giving him some more morphine for the pain.

"Apart from that, is there anything else?"

"Can I remove this stupid mask?"

"I suppose, but if you have trouble breathing, it's going back on."

James seemed satisfied and quickly removed it.

The nurse inspected the bandage placed over his shoulder and seemed satisfied.  "You do realise how lucky you are don't you?"

"I've always had luck on my side."

M raised an eyebrow. "And I see you still have your cockiness, couldn't have hit your head that hard.

"Do you see how caring my boss is?"

The nurse didn't comment, but gave a small smile in response. "Everything seems to be okay. I'll have someone bring you some food, no doubt you'll be hungry and I will be back later to change that bandage, "

"When can I leave?"

"Not for a while yet, and you will be out of commission until you are properly healed. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am. "

"I'll leave you two alone." The nurse made her way towards the door, when she heard Bond's voice call out to her.

"I didn't catch your name."

She stopped and turned to look at them "It's Tracy."

"Thank you for everything, Tracy," M told her with gratitude, while Bond gave her his trademark smirk.

"You're both welcome, oh before I forget, your clothes are at reception. Would you like me to get someone to bring them to your room?"

"Thank you for the offer, but I'll pick them up later."

Tracy nodded, and left, closing the door behind her.

"Now, how the hell does this bed go up?"

"Usually like this." M pressed on one of the buttons on the side of the bed causing it to slowly rise into a sitting position.

"Brains, as well as beauty."

James told her with a grin, and turned to her. Only now did he notice the deep purple bruising on the side of her face that his grin disappeared and replaced with anger. He could feel his blood boil, how he would like to bring back that bastard and kill him slowly.

M sensed his mood change as his attention was drawn to the bruise on her face.

"It's only a bruise, James; it'll heal along with my arm."

"It still shouldn't have happened, and where the hell was your back up!? They were supposed to be on alert!"

"They got held up, apparently someone knew of their location and tried to delay them from getting to us. They arrived after I put a bullet through Le Chiffre's head.

"The bastard was still alive after I shot him?"

"Yes, let's just say if I hadn’t grabbed the gun in time you would be working under a new boss."

James closed his eyes; he didn't want to think about if he woke up only to find she had been killed. He didn't think he could go on living.

She retook his hand in hers. "I'm still here, James, but I'm afraid that holiday will have to wait. Matters that are more urgent have arisen.

James reopened his eyes. This couldn't be good. "What have you found out? And don't sugar coat it."

"Very well.  We have managed to find out the organisation behind this plus a few names."

"You got all of this out of Valenka?"

"No, she gave us one name before she killed herself. The rest I got from Miss Lynd."

James eyes turned steely. "Vesper? What does she know about all of this?"

M sighed, and sat back down on the chair she occupied earlier. "Apparently quite a lot, and I think she knows more than what she told me. This whole situation is a mess, and it runs deeper than we could ever imagine. "

"Tell me." He ran soothing circles on the back of her hand with the pad of his thumb.

"From what she told me, she is being blackmailed by an organisation called Quantum. They have kidnapped her boyfriend, and if she doesn't pay them ten million, they will kill him.

"It sounds like her boyfriend is in on it to me."

"That's what I thought, too. She said she has been in contact with an associate of Quantum known as Mr White. Miss Lynd had already told Le Chiffre the account number; the full scenario was a setup to get the password."

Bond wanted to hit something or someone, but frankly, he knew it would get them nowhere. He reigned in his anger as M continued to speak.

"I've asked Mitchell for a laptop to see what I can find on both him and Quantum, but I'm not going to hold my breath we'll find anything. I also need to inform Nigel so he can set up a new account for the money."

He knew there was more to this. "There's something else, M, I can see it in your eyes."

"It seems this organisation has people everywhere, there may even be members in MI6 and in parliament. We've been sitting with a blind eye for god knows how long, while they have been managing to infiltrate intelligence agencies and governments."

"You said you got one name from Valenka, who was it?"

M looked down at her lap; once again, she may have put her trust in the wrong person if what Valenka said proved to be true.

"M? Is it someone we know?"

She looked back up at him. "Villiers."

James lay there in shock.  He couldn't see Villiers being a double agent, but then again you never really know anyone.

"Do you think he is? What are your instincts telling you?"

"I don't know anymore, James! Right now I'm finding it hard to trust anyone. I don't want to believe Villiers is a part of this organisation, but he did know every inside detail of this mission, so it's possible."

"That may be true, but there was also Mitchell, me and you."

"Are you implying that I could be a traitor?"

"What? No, that's not what I'm saying. All I'm saying is, we shouldn't believe anything until we know for definite."

"Vesper also told me that I couldn't trust anyone, not even you."

"And what do you think, do you trust me? Because I can assure you, my loyalty has always been to Queen and country and to you, no one else."

"I know.  Right now, you're the only one I fully trust."

"So, does this mean we are officially in a relationship?"

M gave him a smirk. "I'm not too sure, James, and after all you did wreck the Aston Martin.  Which, by the way, I'm eagerly waiting for the repayment."

"That wasn't my fault though, M, but if I repay you, plus interest, are you willing to give us a try?"

It would be going against everything she swore she wouldn't do, but seeing the hopeful look on his face and the love in his eyes, there was no denying what her heart wanted.

"Yes, I'm willing, James.  But as I said, this can't change anything between us at work. Our personal relationship has to stay out of the office. It can't interfere, and no one can know."

"I'll be more than happy to agree to those terms."

"Yes, I thought you might. Now, I had better inform Mitchell about Mathis. If what you saw was true, he's closer than we think."

She made to let go of James' hand when he gripped it tighter. "Be careful. I'm going to ask if you can move in here. I would rest better knowing you are safe. "

"There's no point in me arguing against this, is there?"

"No."

"Very well." She wouldn't voice it, but she would feel better herself knowing James was in the same room as her.

He pulled her towards him, causing her to stumble. She just managed to put her free hand out so it landed on the other side pillow to stop herself from completely falling on top of him.

"Are you mad?"

She was only inches from his face; staring into his blue eyes as he looked steadily at her.

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

"No, but no doubt you'll answer anyway."

She could feel her body dropping closer towards his of its own accord.

"I could, but there is something much better I would rather be doing."

"Oh, is there? If someone catches us, you're a dead man, Bond."

"What's a little risk makes it more exciting."

She felt a flash of desire shoot through her body at his words. While it was risky, she did have to admit that it did make it that bit more thrilling.

"Quite, and we both know you like taking risks don't we?" she murmured into his ear.

"Most definitely."

He wrapped his free arm around her back, tracing his hand up and down her spine, causing him to smile when he felt her tremble.

"James, you are serious about this? It isn't just some façade to bed the boss is it?" She leaned back to look at him, noticing the flash of hurt that reflected in his eyes.

"I've never been more serious about anything, M. I'll prove it every hour of everyday if I have to."

She had no doubt he would. "Well, I guess you had better start then."

"With pleasure."

"Well, that may have to wait until you're…" Her words were cut off, and replaced with a moan as James' lips connected with hers.

The kiss was slow and tender, but just as passionate, if not more so than the ones he bestowed upon her only yesterday. She could hear and feel her own heart racing as he deepened the kiss, pouring everything he had into it. She felt his hand slide from her back and rest gently on the back of her neck, holding her in place. She felt as though she were melting as his tongue worked wonders in her mouth. Time seemed to stand still as they got lost in the kiss; the world around them seemed to disappear. The only sound was their beating hearts and heavy breathing.

With reluctance, M broke the kiss, and leaned her forehead against his; James moaning at the loss of the kiss.)

"I think I might almost believe you now, James."

"Oh really? "

"You may have to prove it again when I get back after speaking with Mitchell though."

She leaned back, and looked into his eyes, as his hand caressed her face.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say you are addicted."

"I may be." She kissed the palm of his hand.

"But for now I had better go. I'll be back as soon as I can," she told him softly, leaning down, giving him one last kiss on the lips, before straightening up, then made her way towards the door. 

"M."

She turned back round, curious as to what he wanted. "Yes?"

"You had better make it quick."

She raised an eyebrow at him, she had a feeling he wanted to tell or ask her something else, but decided against it.

"Impatient are we?"

"For you, M, always."

She could feel a lump in her throat at the simple statement. It was ridiculous how she had let him get under her skin in a short space of time, but then again, as she thought about it, he always had been.

"I'll try to be quick as I can."

M continued her journey out of his room to find Mitchell. The door closed behind her and she rested her body against it, closing her eyes. She had fallen deep, and she wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. Shaking her head, she walked along the corridor lost in her thoughts. She was just nearing the corridor that would take her to the reception when a hand clamped over her mouth and around her chest. The unknown assailant pulled her into an empty room.

"I'm not going to hurt you, M. If I let you go, do not make a run for it or alert anyone. Do I make myself clear?"

She gave a slight nod, and the assailant released her.

M pushed herself away from him, and turned around, her face livid, as she looked into the face of Rene Mathis.

 


	9. Qui vivra verra

* * *

James tried to hide the grin from his face when he heard the knock on the door.

"Come in."

The smile suddenly disappeared when it wasn't M, but rather Mitchell, who was at the door. He tried not to let his disappointment show as Mitchell made his way over to his bed laptop secured under his arm.

"How are you feeling, Bond?"

"I've been better, but I'll live." He moved about trying to get comfortable.

"Good, the sooner you get better, the sooner you can help us with this threat. Where's M? The nurse at reception said she was here." 

Bond's face paled. "She told me she was going to inform you about Mathis."

"Bond, I never passed her, there is only one corridor from here to the reception. What about Mathis?"

"He was here earlier when I was slightly out of it."

"Shit! That means he could have been watching our every move."

Mitchell discarded the laptop on Bond's bedside table, and started to alert the other agents through his comm.

"Where do you think you're going, Bond!?"

"What does it look like? I may be injured, but I can still do my damn job!"

Whatever Mitchell was going to say was lost when he heard Anderson's voice through the comm asking him how he wanted to handle the situation.

"You, Thompson and Davis keep guard the entrances and exits, while Matthews, Conner, Ross and myself search the building. We need Mathis alive. If you see him you are only to apprehend him. That's an order."

"For Christ sake, Bond will you get back in that bed!"

James ignored him, and was about to pull out his IV when Mitchell's hand stopped him.

"You will be no use to M in your state. We'll find M. Mathis may not even have her! "

"Come on, Mitchell! You and I both know you don't believe that! If you do, then you're a fool!"

"If he has her, Bond, he won't get far. Now will you get back in that bed, and let us do our job!"

Bond gave a frustrated sigh, he knew Mitchell was right, he just hated the thought of not being out there looking for her himself.

"Fine! You had better make sure that bastard doesn't hurt her, Mitchell, or I’m holding you accountable."

"We'll find her, Bond, you have my word."

Mitchell didn't question what the relationship between Bond and the boss was, but he had a suspicion it went further than that of a working relationship.

/*\\*/*\

M kept her eyes trained on Mathis watching his every move.

"You do realise that you're going to be caught eventually, don't you?"

"M, you have to understand I had nothing to do with any of this. "

M scoffed at the statement, and folded her arms across her chest.

"You really expect me to believe that!? You were working with Le Chiffre for Christ’s sake!"

Mathis shook his head, and looked up towards the ceiling.

"And I suppose Le Chiffre told you that? "

"He may have let that piece of information slip."

M watched as his gaze fell back onto her. "What else do you think you know?"

"Why? So, you can go and inform your little criminal organisation! We know it was you that sold us out."

Mathis let out a laugh "I didn't sell you out to Le Chiffre that was all Vesper. I caught on to her little game, but before I could warn you, it was already too late. Yes, I may have spoken to Le Chiffre, but only to find out information that could help you and James."

M still didn't believe a word of what he was saying.

"It's the truth, M! What would I hope to gain from all of this? I may have done a lot of things in my life, but being a traitor isn't one of them."

"All right, let's say I believe you, what information did you manage to find out?"

"This organisation, Quantum, doesn't begin and end with White. There are more players than just him. He's in association with a Dominic Green; he's apparently one of the top leaders."

"And do you know exactly what this Dominic Green does? Or what they plan to do if they get a hold of the funds from the poker game?" M placed both hands on her hips waiting for an answer.

"No, but from the sounds of it, the whole organisation is based on wealth and power, and act as a third party to help fund terrorist groups. And the way they get their money for their cause…"

"They use blackmail. So, Yusef is in on it."

"Yes, and on more than one occasion by the sounds of it."

M paced around the room; she could feel herself starting to become agitated. Mathis folded his arms over his chest, watching her walk back and forth, trying to read what she was thinking.

"You should also know that MI6 has mole…"

She stopped pacing for a moment to look at him. "Yes, I'm aware of that; we found out from Valenka that it's Villiers."

She could feel herself losing patience.

"Then you ought to know that you have more than one, and one of them is closer than you think."

M gave him a calculating look. "Who?"

He walked towards her, causing M to tense.

"I'm not sure, but you have to watch your back, and James too. They planned to recruit him to their organisation through Vesper."

She looked at him in disbelief.

“James wouldn’t have joined them.  Their plan to use Vesper wouldn’t have worked.”

“You’re probably right.  If he had fallen for her charms, though, he might have. However, since that plan hasn't gone the way they had hoped, no doubt they will use someone else for leverage to make him co-operate."

M looked into his eyes searching for any sign he was lying, but there was none; he was serious.

"If they want him it will be over my dead body."

"They won't have trouble with killing you, but they need you."

"Me? Why me? I don't exactly have anything they want."

His voice got a tad lower in case anyone walked past.

"You have James. They know about the two of you; you didn't exactly hide it very well. They will use you against him to make him co-operate."

M felt her mouth go dry; she couldn't allow something like that to happen. She felt caught between two evils. She could end what she had with James or stay with him. Either way, she had a feeling both outcomes would undoubtedly change them.

Mathis saw the conflicting emotions flash over her face.

"I can't tell you the best course of action to take, M, you have to make that decision. They may not have got the winnings, and no doubt you will have the account number changed?"

"Yes."

"I thought as much, it will mean they have nothing to lose. You will possess the new account number. James has the password; do you see what I'm talking about? They will do everything to get that new account number, and then use you to force James to give them the password, and recruit him at the same time."

Mathis let out a sigh. "He's loyal to you, they have no chance of recruiting him unless they have you. My advice to you, M, get Vesper to contact White.  The sooner you get him into custody, the sooner you're more likely to bring down this organisation. Green maybe the top leader, but White holds the secrets."

"The chances of Vesper contacting White will be slim at most."

"You have to try, for your sake as well as James'."

M nodded, she knew Mathis was right; they had to bring this organisation down no matter what it took. She was so focused on her thoughts; she didn't see Mathis reach into his coat pocket.

"Forgive me, M."

"What…"

Mathis brought out the syringe and quickly injected the contents into M's arm, before pulling it out, throwing it into the corner of the room.

"It's only a sedative, the effects won't last long. No doubt your bodyguards will be looking for you."

M could feel her body relaxing. She tried to focus on Mathis but all she could see was a blur. She tried to speak, but could only make small noises that sounded pitiful to her own ears. She felt herself being lifted into his arms, wondering where he was taking her, before she was placed on something soft, realising it was a medical bed.

"It's better that your people think I'm still a traitor, that way they will be oblivious to what you know, M. It's for your own safety. I'll be in touch."

She heard his footsteps grow fainter, and the sound of the door opening,  then closing behind him. She felt her eyes closing and let her body give into the sedative's effects.

/*\\*/*\

Bond waited until Mitchell's footsteps died away, then pulled out his IV; ignoring the pain and blood that ran down his hand creating red droplets on the floor.

Throwing back the blankets, he swung his legs over the bed, grimacing in pain at the new position. He could feel his legs wobble slightly as he tried to stand, holding onto the bed for support. Taking careful steps, he slowly made his way over to the door, losing his balance a few times, as he went.

He could feel himself becoming breathless with each step he took, but chose to ignore it; finding M was more important than anything else; he would worry about everything else later. Opening the door, he looked up and down the corridor noticing it was clear. Heading in the direction that led to the reception, looking into each of the rooms as he did; the journey slower than he would have liked.

Reaching another long corridor, he noted one of the rooms had its blinds closed.  Narrowing his eyes, he made his way over to the room. All the other rooms blinds were open, and the rooms empty. Either it was a patient, or it M was in there.

Taking a few moments to catch his breath, he pushed open the door, and looked into the room, spotting M unmoving on the centre of the medical bed. Walking as quickly as his body would allow him, he reached her side, and cautiously reached out to check for her pulse. He released a sigh of relief when he felt the strong beat beneath his fingers.

He gently shook her shoulders, hoping to get her to stir, but luck wasn't on his side. Looking around the room, he spotted a piece of paper on the bedside cabinet. Walking around to the other side of the bed, he picked up the white sheet, and quickly read it.

_James,_

_If you're reading this, it means you've found M. I've given her a light sedative; the effects should last half an hour at most._

_I've told her what I know. M will explain more. For now, it's better for Six to think I'm still a traitor for M's safety and your own._

_I hope there will be no ill feelings between us. I'll try to keep you both updated if I find out any more information._

_Both of you stay safe and be careful on who you trust. The threat is closer than you think._

_A Friend_

He didn't know whether to thank Mathis or punch him. Crumpling the paper in his hand, he looked down at M, wondering what he had told her. He heard footsteps at the doorway, turning he saw Mitchell and three other agents in the doorway.

"I told you to stay put, Bond!"

"Well, it's a good thing I didn't. It seems I've done your job for you."

Mitchell walked over to him. "Where's Mathis?"

"I don't know, he was gone by the time I got here. Your boss is fine by the way."

"What did he do?" He looked down towards M.

"I'm guessing a sedative since she's still breathing."

He was becoming frustrated at Mitchell's attitude; he gave him a calculating look trying to get into his head to see what he was thinking. He seemed to be on edge, but about what he didn't know.

"Hopefully she can tell us when she wakes up. I'm surprised he didn't kill her."

To Bond it sounded like he was disappointed he hadn't.

"Mathis isn’t one for mess." He kept his voice level, never taking his eyes off the other man.

"I'll get the agents to keep looking for him, but for now…"

Bond watched as he pressed the call button on the wall.

"I'm getting the nurses to take you back to your room, maybe get them to strap you down while I'm at it, so you don't go gallivanting off again."

He bet the bastard would too, James thought, gritting his teeth as he gave Mitchell a hard look. To anyone else it probably would have sounded like a joke, but not to him. There was an eagerness about it, as if he was trying to get him out of the way. One thing he knew was that he would be keeping an eye on him, a very close eye. There had been too many coincidences were Mitchell was concerned, and he'll be damned if he let M, be alone with him.

 


	10. A Change in the Plan

* * *

M awoke to the sound of muffled voices.  She tried to recall what had happened, then she remembered Mathis and the sedative. Next time she saw him she would stab him with a needle and see how he liked it. As she became more awake, the voices got louder.  She opened bleary eyes to see Bond arguing with the nurse and Mitchell as the other agents looked on.

"Bond, for God's sake, would you shut up, and do whatever it is the nurse wants."

"M, how are you feeling?" His worried face came into her line of vision.

"Like I've been stabbed with a needle." She moved into a sitting position.

Mitchell came forward cutting off Bond who was about to speak.

"What do you remember, Ma'am? Did he say anything that could give us a clue to his whereabouts?"

M gave him a calculating look. "No, not that I recall. He grabbed me before I knew what was happening; he gave the usual spiel about this was only the start of what was to come. I can't recall anything else. Other than him sticking a needle in my arm."

She discreetly looked at Bond, seeing the knowing look in his eyes.

"You must remember something, Ma'am. " He raised his eyebrow, sceptical she wasn't telling him everything.

"I've told you what I can, Mitchell! And I would appreciate it if you do not take that tone of voice with me again. Understood?"

Mitchell didn't look too happy but agreed.

"Now I think it's time you got back to what the government pays you for."

Mitchell narrowed his eyes as he looked from Bond and M; the two of them knew something, and what that something was he needed to find out.

"Ma'am."

She watched as Mitchell and the agents left the room, leaving only herself, Bond and the irritated nurse.

"Mind telling me what on earth you are doing here, Bond, instead of in your bed?"

"Maybe you'll get him to see sense. He refused to budge until he knew you were all right." The nurse gave him another disapproving look.

"I see. Well, I think you can go back to your room now. Don't you? Last thing we need is for you to be out of the field longer than necessary."

She saw the sweat on his forehead, and the discomfort; knowing he was in pain and refused to say anything.

"Could you get him a wheelchair. Last thing we need is for him to pass out." She looked pointedly at the nurse.

"Of course, I'll be back in a few moments."

M watched as the nurse left the room,  then turned to James.

"I can walk fine," he told her in annoyance at being treated as if he was invalid.

"Really?  Because your posture says otherwise. It will only be for a few minutes at most, James. If not for you, then do it for me at least."

"All right." He conceded, causing M to hide her grin at how easily he gave in.

"I knew you would see it my way."

James moved back slightly so she could get up off the bed, grabbing her arm as he saw her start to sway. She grabbed his arm with her hand, and closed her eyes to try to stop the room from spinning.

"I think I'm not the only one that needs that wheelchair."

"I'm fine, James, just stood up too quickly that's all. I'll be fine in a few moments."

"M…"

She opened her eyes and saw the worry in his eyes. "Honestly, James, it's nothing."

M let go of his arms, and tried to put what distance she could between them. The action didn't go unnoticed by him, and it made him more curious as to what Mathis told her. Before he could press her for answers, the nurse returned with the wheelchair.

"It looks like your ride is here."

"This is bloody embarrassing," he mumbled under his breath.

"Perhaps you should have thought about the consequences before you decided to leave your room."

He huffed in annoyance, and sat in the chair, trying not to show the look of relief that he no longer had to stand.

"Perhaps you should get a new personal bodyguard."

M gave him a disapproving look. "What makes you say that?"

"I'm not blind, M. I saw the way you were looking at him when he tried to interrogate you. You don't fully trust him, do you?"

"This isn't the place for this discussion."

"So, you're not denying I'm wrong?"

"I'm not saying you're right either. Let's just focus on getting you back to your room first, then I'll tell you what I know."

"All right." He finally relented.

The journey back to his room was made in silence, with James checking to make sure M was still beside him. If M seemed to notice, she didn't let him know, as she hadn't looked at him once since they had left the previous room.

Once the nurse managed to get James comfortable, and the IV reinserted into the back of his hand, did M finally look at him. Seeing the apologetic look in her eyes he had a bad feeling he wasn't going to like what she was about to tell him. 

"Could you bring me the laptop that was left at reception? I would go and get it myself, but someone needs to watch the wanderer."

"Of course, I'll bring it to you in a few moments."

"Thank you."

James waited until the nurse had left before making his move.

"Out with it, M, what did Mathis tell you?"

She filled him in on everything, from Vesper setting up Mathis to how Greene seemed to be calling the shots. James sat there wishing he was healed so he could hunt down the bastards. When she told him of the mole, and that it was someone close, his suspicions of Mitchell were slowly becoming a reality. He saw her hesitate at the next part wondering what was so difficult that she was finding it hard to continue.

"Just tell me."

"They want to recruit you. That was the plan anyway. Vesper was a pawn.  They hoped that if you fell in love with her, then you would join them."

"Not bloody likely! If they thought that, then they really are stupid.”

"Perhaps, or perhaps not. They would have used Vesper as leverage. Join them or kill her. The usual spiel they like to pull, but since their original plan didn't work they'll try something else. James, they know about us."

The pieces clicked into place, they couldn't use Vesper, so they would use the next available person he was close to. He finally knew where she was going with this.

"Oh no, I know what you're thinking, M. I'm not going to bloody let you," he told her through clenched teeth.

"It's for the best, James.  We both know they won't stop until they get what they want."

"Not if we get them first."

"It's too much of a risk, James. There's too much at stake. We can't afford them to be in power, and I can't afford to lose you or have your heart rule your head should a situation a rise."

"What are you saying, M?"

"I'm saying if the situation calls for it, you put the task of bringing down Quantum before anything else, especially me."

"Do you have any idea what you're asking me, M? You're basically telling me to kill you should I need to."

'That's not what I'm saying…"

"Isn't it? I'll tell you right now, M, you can forget about that stupid idea of yours, because it won't come to that."

"Well, in that case it seems our relationship has ended before it's even properly started. If you won't do it, then any plans of whatever it is between us will have to be put on hold until this affair is over, or you move on and we finish it for good."

She knew she wasn't being fair, but there was really no other way around this.

"You haven't exactly given me any decent options. It doesn't matter which one I chose does it? After all, I've already lost you anyway. My question is this; did I really have you to begin with?"

"James…"

"All three choices don't appeal to me, M. You don't want to lose me fine, but the same goes for me. Do you really think if we end this, they won't go after you to make me cooperate? Because I can guarantee you they will. They know how much you meant to me before we even started this relationship, if there has been someone or some people who are close to you been reporting back to them, then they knew already you were the key, should the first plan fail."

M knew he was right, but it still didn't sit right with her. She was cut off from answering him when the door opened, and stepped in the nurse with the laptop and placed it on the hospital table. 

"Is that everything?"

"Yes/No." They told her simultaneously.

M turned her attention to James wondering what it was he wanted.

"Could you have M's things brought here, and you may want to bring in another bed. She's moving in here."

"I'll have to check first, but I don't see it being a problem. If it keeps you in that bed."

"I think you've got yourself a deal." He gave her a charming smile.

The nurse blushed slightly and left them alone once more.

"I promise we won't let it interfere with the job, but don't for one second think I'm going to give you up."

He turned to look up at her. "You're all I have, M, without you I have nothing."

"I never thought guilt tripping was your forte James."

"It's the truth."

"You said something earlier, James, about Mitchell."

"You can't trust him, M, don't let yourself be alone with him."

"What makes you say that?"

"It's probably nothing, but the way he was looking at you when he came into the room after I found you, he almost seemed disappointed and slightly worried about what Mathis may have told you. Which was probably the reason for his interrogation when you regained consciousness."

"Or he was just doing his job?"

James let out a humourless laugh. "You don't believe that anymore than I do, M. He's up to something. It's also ironic that Valenka killed herself in his custody when investigating her, which makes me think, is Villiers actually in on it or was it just some ploy by Mitchell to get us off his trail should any evidence pop up?"

M thought about everything James just told her, and she had to admit it could be plausible, but she wouldn't be jumping to any conclusions just yet until she knew more information.

"Let's see what Tanner got from Villiers and see if your theory is correct."

M took out the laptop, switched it on and started the process of video calling Tanner.

"So, are we still in a relationship, or have I lost you?"

"I'm still here so what does that tell you?"

He gave her a loving smile, and was about to pull her in for a kiss, when Tanner’s voice filled the room, causing him to moan in annoyance.

_"Ma'am, Bond."_

"Tanner." Bond quipped back, as he leaned back against his pillows.

"What have you gotten from Villiers, Tanner?" M asked him, perching on the side of James' bed.

_"He says he has no involvement in with Quantum, and the allegations made against him are false. He did however, inform me that he was in contact with Mathis for the duration that you and Bond were in Montenegro."_

"Did he say what these conversations were about?"

_"The file request you asked him to retrieve on Miss Lynd. Villiers had a look through it himself, and put two and two together.  By the time he had informed Mathis you were in trouble, it was too late."_

"Mathis never mentioned to me receiving any contact with Villiers."

_"So, what's our next course of action?"_

'Keep sweating him, Tanner. He knows something. He may not be a part of it, but he could have passed on information to someone unintentionally and is covering up for them."

_"There is that possibility, Ma'am."_

"Did he mention anything about why Mitchell was delayed in arriving with backup?"

_"No, but there was CCTV at their position. Q is currently looking through it to see if we can get a conclusive idea of what happened."_

"What's bothering you, Tanner?

_He let out a sigh. "I hate to say this, Ma'am, but I can't see Villiers betraying your trust. Okay, he may have passed on information unintentionally, but if he did, he probably didn't know himself they were also working for Quantum."_

"I think you could be right, Tanner. Keep questioning him until he gives us a name."

_"And after that?"_

"When he gives us a name, and Q finishes checking the CCTV, he's free to go, but I want you to monitor his movements, and keep tabs on everyone he speaks to."

_"Consider it done."_

"Tanner, there is something else I need you to do, but you can't trust anyone with the information."

_"Ma'am?" he asked curiously._

"I need you to do a search on a Dominic Greene and a Mr. White. I would do it myself, but I don't trust anyone here, and it isn't secure."

_"What is it I'm looking for?"_

"Anything that gives us an idea of where he is located, and who his associates are. I need all the information you can find."

_"I'll do my best,_ _Ma'am.”_

"Oh and, Tanner? The sooner the better."

The call ended, and M closed the laptop, then turned to look at James.

"You stayed relatively quiet through all of that."

"I was trying my hardest not to say I told you so."

"It still doesn't prove his innocence, James."

"Perhaps not, but think if he refuses to tell us the name, it means there is someone higher in the government that's passing on information to them. Now it doesn't take a genius to know if it's someone higher up in the government you wouldn't give the name, knowing they could blackmail you with all sorts."

"You know, James if you use that brain of yours like that on missions, you could prevent all that damage you usually cause."

"Where's the fun in that. Not much of a blunt instrument after all, am I?" he told her smugly.

"It would appear not. We'll see how long it lasts."

She reached into the front of the laptop bag, and pulled out a mobile. Quickly dialling Nigel, she waited a few moments before he answered.

"Nigel, it's M. We have a slight situation."

_"Hello to you too, M. What's happened?"_

"I need you to set up a new account code for the money, the last one has been compromised."

_"Shit, give me a few moments."_

She tapped her fingers against the table waiting for him to get back to her. After a few moments, he was back.

_"Okay, that should be everything sorted. Mr Mendel will arrive later on so you can process the new account number and password to transfer the money. Do you have pen and paper to write this down?"_

"You've known me for some time, Nigel, I may have gotten older, but my memory is just as good." 

She saw the quick flash of jealously flash over James' face, and rolled her eyes.

_"How could I forget? Okay the new account number is 03174920. Do I want to know what happened to the old one for it to become useless?"_

"Probably not. Take care, Nigel."

_"You too, M."_

Ending the call, she looked up to see James sulking.

"What's the matter with you?"

"What did you mean he's known you for some time?"

"Exactly that, we've had dealings over the years. Nothing more, nothing less. So, there is nothing to be jealous about, James.” She gave him an amused smile. "And stop sulking, it doesn't suit you."

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, watching her stand up.

"To talk to Vesper, and try to convince her to call White.  The sooner we find him, the sooner we bring down Quantum."

"And do you really think she will?"

"No, but right now, James, I'm willing to try anything. I won't be long." 

"You said that the last time and looked what happened."

She gave him a disapproving look. "You're in luck, her room is just four doors down from here, so no doubt you'll hear the commotion should I need help."

"That's no joking matter considering the state I'm in."

"Stop worrying, James, and you'll bloody well stay put. I'm not having nurses jump down my throat just because you can't sit still for more than ten minutes."

She bent down, and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "Just rest, James."

James watched as she left, and shook his head.  He wouldn't hold his breath that Vesper would contact White, but he would let M do it her way for now.

/*\\*/*\

M walked along the corridor to Vesper's room, noticing the agents she had appointed earlier were no longer there. She would be having a few words with them later for not following orders, but for now she has more important matters to deal with.

Standing in front of her door, she had her hand poised ready to knock when she heard Vesper speaking to someone. Opening the door slightly, she looked in the room, and saw Vesper standing in the middle of the room, back to the door, talking on a mobile.

_"They have the account number changed, there is nothing more I can do. I've already delayed them by telling them I won't contact you."_

M continued to watch as the woman in front of her started to become agitated. She had a feeling it was White on the other line, but having hearing only one side of the conversation she couldn’t be certain

_"And how am I supposed to do that? He won't let her out of his sight."_

She narrowed her eyes, wondering what they were planning now. She was now a security risk. She couldn't be allowed to remain free.

_"That's easier said than done, White, he's not stupid.  He would never fall for that."_

Fall for what? M couldn't help wondering.   The more she heard, the more she didn't like where this was heading.

_"I think he would rather die first than join Quantum. He's loyal to her, too loyal. You've no chance of recruiting him."_

So it was true. They had planned on recruiting James.

_"A contract?"_

She heard Vesper give a sigh of defeat.

_"Fine, I'll do it. But after this is over I want out. I've done everything you've asked.... I understand."_

M watched as she ended the call, and quietly closed the door. Heading back to James' room, she saw the agent she had ordered to guard Vesper head in her direction.

"Is everything all right, Ma'am?"

"No! Everything isn't all right! When I give, you a direct order you follow it until I state otherwise! Do you understand?" she hissed.

"Yes, Ma'am. Sorry, Ma’am." The agent replied, hurrying past her.

M watched and waited until the agent was back in his position, before heading back to the room she shared with James. Upon entering, she saw him look up and give a smirk only for it to disappear.

"What happened?"

"Apart from agents not following orders." M looked at him gravely. “It seems our Mr. White has a plan B."

 


	11. Cracking the Code

* * *

** White's state home - Villa Gaeta, Lombardia, Italy **

White hung up the call with Vesper, silently cursing her foolishness. She wasn't turning out as useful as he first thought. Now he would have to change their plans. The account number he had was useless. He needed that number and he needed Bond's boss to do it for him. If he had fallen for Vesper, they would have had him, and the money.  If anyone could keep MI6 off their tail, it was Bond.  He knew the ins and outs of the of SIS, he would also make a valuable hit man.

He walked over to the computer monitor, and looked at the picture of Bond's boss staring back at him. His source had sent him everything about Olivia Mansfield, and he had to admit she was a formidable woman; smart and still had a certain beauty about her. But she also represented a threat to their plans. No doubt she was looking to find every bit of intel she could about them. They had come too far for one woman to ruin it all, but it would be a shame to kill her should Bond not cooperate. She had potential, but she was too loyal to Queen and country.

He should have seen it at first: she was the key to everything. If Bond still wouldn't cooperate he would kill them both. With Olivia out the way, he could appoint his own man as head of MI6. Giving the screen a calculating look, a new plan began to form in his mind. Looking through his contacts, he found the number he was looking for, and pressed call. After a few rings, a voice on the other end answered.

"I think I've found a way to solve all our problems."

 **"What about Bond and the money?"** The receiver gruffly replied.

"We're working on it, but as of this moment Bond is no longer our main concern, however we will let them believe he is."

He smirked, and continued to stare at Olivia’s picture the monitor. There could only be one winner at the end of this, and right now he was the one holding the winning hand. 

/*\\*/*\

** Villa Balbianello, Lombardia, Italy **

Bond perked up, wondering what it was she had heard from Vesper.  "Do you know what this latest plan involves?"

"No, I only heard one side of the conversation, there was something about a contract and that 'he would never fall for that', I'm assuming she was referring to you."

"At least she is right about one thing."

"Quite.  We need to detain her. She knows where White is."

James sat there, lost in thought. "It also means that someone here gave her a mobile. I wonder who could have done that?"

M gave him a reproachful look, and turned back on the laptop.

“They may have done, which is the reason I need Tanner out here.   Since she won’t talk to either of us, I’ll have him question her.”

There was a knock on the door, and M looked to James giving him a nod.

"Come in."

James went on guard upon seeing Mitchell enter the room.

"I've done a thorough search of the premises, Ma'am, no sign of Mathis."

"I didn't expect there to be. Was there anything else, Mitchell?"

Mitchell stepped forward slightly, causing Bond to sit up straighter.

"I was wondering if you managed to get any information from Villiers, Ma'am."

"None yet.  He is not willing to give us a name, but he has told Tanner enough to help us gain some information on White's whereabouts. He is also having Q check the CCTV footage of where you were stationed to see if we can get any leads from that front."

M saw his posture change, and narrowed her eyes seeing the worry that was there.

"Hopefully, there will be something to help us progress in this enquiry, Ma'am."

"Here's hoping, Mitchell. If that's everything, I want you to guard Miss Lynd until Tanner arrives."

"Of course, Ma'am.  Bond."

Mitchell left them alone, and M counted to three under her breath waiting for James to say something. She only got to two before his voice filled the room.

"Still think he has nothing to do with it?"

"Oh shut up, and let me contact Tanner."  

She waited for him to answer with no luck, and let out a sigh of frustration.

"Well, you did tell him to keep sweating Villiers, and to do a search on White and Greene," he told her amused.

"Yes, thank you for that reminder, James."

Her gentle tapping of the keyboard filled the room, causing James to wonder what she was doing.

He watched in awe as she hacked into the facility’s CCTV cameras, and found the ones situated inside and outside of Miss Lynd's room, as well as the one around the perimeter of the hospital and brought them up on the screen.

"I'll say it again, M, you're full of surprises."

Her lips turned up slightly in amusement. "The only problem is there is no sound, so we will need to make do with this for the time being."

M watched as Vesper paced her room, biting her nails as she did so, knowing she was on borrowed time. An organisation like Quantum and people like White don't let their associates walk away. They would kill her eventually.

She came out of her thoughts when she noticed an incoming call from Tanner; clicking accept, she wasted no time in asking what he had found out.

**"Ma'am, I have some good news and bad news."**

"I thought there might be. What have you found?"

Tanner looked more tired than he normally did, and she knew this was having just as much of an effect on him as it was them.

**"I did those checks like you asked me too, and it seems Dominic Greene runs an organisation called Greene Planet, which is supposedly devoted to buying up large sums of land for ecological preservation. He is currently working on a Tierra project in Bolivia, and it seems our friends from the CIA have been tracking his movements for some time."**

"How long has he been on their priority list?" M asked him urgently.

**"Two years by the looks of it, but I'm assuming they don't have enough evidence on him, hence why they are tracking his movements."**

"Could it be possible that there are some Quantum members working for the CIA?"

**Tanner let out a sigh. "It's possible, Bond, but we can't know for certain."**

"And what about White? Were you able to find anything on him?" M jumped to the chase, trying not to think about more Quantum members running amok.

**"That's the bad news, it seems he is on our system, but I can't access his information."**

"What the hell do you mean you can't access his information?"

**"Exactly that, Ma'am, it requires high clearance level, even you don't have permission to gain access to it. Which means..."**

"It's someone who higher up in the government hierarchy. Shit."

**"Precisely, Ma'am, and whoever it is doesn't want anyone to find out White's information which makes tracking his whereabouts all that more difficult. We have nothing concrete to go on."**

"What about Villiers?"

**"Still no luck, but it proves your theory that whoever he passed on the information to works for our government."**

"And without a name, or evidence we have no way of stopping them."

**"I'm afraid so, Ma'am."**

The sound of Tanner's phone ringing halted their conversation. M waited with bated breath wondering what had happened now. It wasn't long before he ended the call, and turned his attention back to them.

**"It seems Q has almost checked through the CCTV footage, but from what he told me it seems Mitchell's story checks out."**

"He has to be lying, Tanner, get Q to check it again." Bond being annoyed was an understatement. He knew the bastard had something to do with all of this.

**"Bond, Q knows what he is doing. Do you believe that he would mess this up?"**

Tanner knew it was getting to him, but it was getting to all of them, and putting the blame on one man was getting them nowhere.

Bond didn't answer him, knowing Q was excellent at what he did, but even geniuses can make mistakes.

"Tanner, I need you and a few agents out here. We need to take Vesper in for questioning.  She is a high security risk, and right now you're the one I trust to get the job done."

**"Very well, Ma'am, what shall we do about Villiers?"**

"He had his chance, Tanner, lock him up for now. Maybe he will be more cooperative knowing the longer he withholds information, the longer he will stay that way."

**"Ma'am. Oh, there was one more thing. I should probably say congratulations."**

"On what?" She was looking at him in confusion.

 **"It's about time, you and Bond got together."** If there wasn't a screen separating them she would wipe that smile off his face.

"What gave you that idea?"

**"Considering the first time you contacted me I had obviously interrupted what was no doubt going to be an intimate moment, if Bond's sulking attitude was anything to go by."**

"I'll crack the jokes ,Tanner," James told him, put out at being caught sulking, even though he had a valid reason for doing so.

M groaned in annoyance. "I would rather you didn't, Bond. And for god’s sake, Tanner wipe that stupid grin off your face."

 **“Yes, Ma’am.  I’ll try to be there as soon as I can,”** Tanner replied, then ended the call.

The monitor once again showed the interior of Vesper’s room and M noticed not much had changed, but then again she hadn't expected it to.

"That was a complete waste of bloody time. We've got no further forward. Villiers is shit scared to talk, and there may be quantum members in the CIA. Oh, and let's not forget our own government seems to want to prevent us from finding what we have on White."

"That's about the gist of it, James. If Tanner can get Vesper to disclose the information on White, we may be able to pin point a location for him, and bring him in."

"There's always Mathis?"

M released a sigh. "He doesn't know anymore than we do, he told me all he knows." 

"So what? We just sit back and wait for White to make his move and carry out whatever plan he has in mind?" James grumbled not liking the idea one bit.

"For the time being. Once the money is transferred it will give us one less thing to be concerned about."

James lay lost in thought, there must be something they were missing, but he couldn't for the life of him think what it was. He heard M mumbling about the CIA, then his eyes widened.

"Wait, Tanner said the CIA was tracking Greene's movements?"

"Yes, but they are hardly going to reveal anything they have on him are they?"

"The CIA won't, but there may be someone who can."

M turned, and looked straight at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

"Think about it, M? Who bought me back into the game?"

M's eyes widened, realisation dawning. "Felix."

"They wanted us to hand Le Chiffre over to the CIA for questioning, so they probably knew if they questioned him..."

"They would find Greene which would lead them to White."

"Exactly." James smiled; they were on the same wavelength.

"Do you trust him?"

"I've no reason not to."

M gave her own smile. "Very well, do you know how to contact him?"

"Hand me the laptop."

M did what he asked, and watched as he typed away, not wanting to know the means he had in contacting him.

"While you do that, I'm going to go for a shower. I feel like death warmed over."

"Still very beautiful though." James looked up from the screen and gave her wink.

"Rein in the charm, James, and make sure you keep an eye on the CCTV." 

She saw his face light up, and shook her head.

"I meant for Vesper.  But know this, James,  when I come back, and find you have been watching me in the shower, you're going to have more injuries on top of the ones you already have. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal. I'll tell you, M, you sure know how to kill the mood."

"I have been known for it."

She made her way towards the adjoining bathroom only to stop in her tracks.

"Something wrong?"

"I've just realised our clothes are still at the bloody reception."

"I'll call for the nurse."

"No you bloody well won't!"

He halted his finger over the button, in amusement.

"We aren't in a hotel; I'll go and get them myself."

"I'm starting to think you want as far away from me as possible."

"Oh for Christ’s sake." She marched from the room, ignoring his protests for her to come back.

James couldn't help grinning. He did love riling her up. Looking back at the monitor he scrolled through SIS database, finding the one file Tanner couldn't access. He only had three attempts to try this before he would be locked out. After two tries, he let out a frustrated sigh, it had to be something related to White. They wouldn't use _'Quantum'_ it was too obvious. But then again... Taking a gamble he quickly tried again and pressed enter.

He smiled triumphantly,  and quickly scrolled through White's information. He looked at the picture of an older man who appeared to be the same age as M. Ignoring the picture, he continued to scroll through the file noticing they had been keeping tabs on him for a few years. Looking through the list of destinations where he was last sighted, he noticed that he had been to more than twelve countries in the space of a month. He was on the verge of scrolling down more, when he stopped seeing the same place listed more than once. Saving all the data to the laptop, he brought up a satellite image and quickly typed in the address he saw on White's file, and cursed under his breath at what he saw.

"What have you gone and done now, James?" M walked in the room with two bags in hand.

"How long did Tanner say he was going to be?" he asked her urgently.

"He said he would get here as soon as he could? Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

M dumped the bags, and walked over to his bed.

"I've got a location on White."

"How the hell did you manage that?"

"That's not important, what is important is sending agents to this location." He turned the laptop for her to see, then watched her face grow pale. 

"Shit. He's been close by this whole time."

"It would seem so. I downloaded everything we have on him  It's just a matter of going through it with a fine tooth comb."

M knew they would have to play this carefully. She didn't trust nay of the agents here, and waiting for Tanner could give White time to slip under the radar once again.

"What are you thinking, M?"

"I think we should wait before we send agents to White's location. I don't trust any of the agents here, and quite frankly I can't risk for them to tell him we know where he is. If he's even still there. The more we know about him, the more prepared we will be to make the next move."

James wasn't satisfied with her answer, the more they delayed this the less chance they had of apprehending him, but he could see where she was coming from.

"Now tell me how you get this information? You were supposed to be contacting Felix."

"I'm not going to get a bollocking on how it was against protocol am I?"

"You might if you don't tell me." She crossed her arms over her chest, wincing slightly as she felt the skin pull under her bandage.

"Well, as you know, all government agencies love password protecting their files, yours included. My first two tries were unsuccessful, but whoever locked his file couldn't have been more obvious if they tried."

"Wait, you're trying to tell me they used _'Quantum'_ as the password?" She asked, disbelief clouding her voice.

"In a manner of speaking. They may be obvious, but they aren't that thick."

"Would you get to the point James."

"I thought about it, then I remembered the whole scenario with Skyfleet. They had a code word _'ELLIPSIS'_ which was essentially a pass code for the security room at the airport. Basically one letter is substituted as a number. So, I did the same with the word _'QUANTUM'_ which gave me the code _'7826886'_ and voila. As I say they are obvious, but not thick."

"I'm impressed, James. I think those blows to the head actually did you some good this time around."

"Does that mean I get a reward?" he asked eagerly.

"Perhaps later. I want you to make yourself even more useful, and go through that file. Any information you find stays between us for the time being. While you do that, I'm going for that shower, make sure you don't leave that bed, and try to get a hold of Felix since you seemed so eager earlier."

"Yes, Ma'am."

He watched as she grabbed her bag from where she had left it, and entered the bathroom, and closed the door behind her. He couldn't help smirking at the simple action. If all went according to plan they would be able to capture White in a few days, and with any luck he may get to spend some time with M without having to worry about White, Quantum, or bloody Mitchell. It was a soundproof plan in his head, but when did anything go right for them?  Maybe this time would be different, but he wouldn't hold his breath. He would mention a vacation to M later. For now he would focus on White's file, and try to get in contact with Felix, in the hope that he could shed some light on what exactly the CIA was up too in regards to Greene.

 


	12. Mitchell's Warning

* * *

When M came out from the bathroom, she noticed there was now another bed next to James’ bed, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

“Exactly how long was I in there?”

"Long enough that I thought I would have to send out a search party." He smirked.

She scowled, and smoothed down her top, trying to flatten some of the creases that were there with no luck. It would have to do. She felt human again so that was enough at least.

"The semi-casual look suits you, M," he said, complimenting her on her white cotton trousers, and her quarter length pale pink blouse.

"I'm glad you approve of my style choices, James." She grinned, and moved to sit on the bed the nurse had brought in for her. 

"Any updates while I was away?"

"Some, but not enough. Every time we're one step closer, we end up three steps back."

"So, Whites' file held no more useful information."

"Afraid not. Other than that he has been in contact with Greene for some months. However, Felix was another matter."

"How so?"

"Apparently they found Greene's company. Greene Planet is a cover. He gets diplomats and presidents of countries to accept deals, which would inevitably put him and Quantum in main control of the country's oil and water supplies."

"So, in order for it to be distributed, countries would have to undoubtedly pay a large some of money, which would then continue to fund their little organisation."

"Pretty much. The CIA is sending Felix and the CIA's section Chief, Gregg Beam, to Bolivia to ensure America gets oil rights there."

"That doesn't surprise me.  The CIA will lie with anybody as long as they get something out of it. Did you manage to get anything else from him?"

"Only that Greene is going to try to get the Bolivian president to agree to their deal. He doesn't trust Beam, but apart from that they won't know anymore until they meet with Greene at the end of the month."

"Get me the President of Bolivia's direct line, James. I think we need to give him a slight advantage on refusing this deal."

“Are you sure that's wise, M? Even if he declines, Greene will go to someone else who will agree, and dispose of the current president, putting one of them in his place. What good would that do for the country? The government is already corrupt, it will only add more fuel to the fire."

"We need to at least try. Failure isn't an option."

“It’s your call, you’re the boss, M.”

She wouldn't change her mind.  It would either work or it wouldn't, but at least she would be able to sleep somewhat better knowing that she at least tried to do something, instead of sitting back doing nothing.

"You'll need the phone."

"Thank you for that observation, James. I did gather that concept."

James typed in the number that was on the monitor, and tossed it over to her, catching it in her hands.

"It's ringing." He grinned.

M held the phone to her ear, giving him a reproachful look; if not for his having been injured, she would have slapped him for his cheek.

"President Vargas, it's MI6. We have information on a Dominic Greene who is going to approach you in the hopes of making a deal with him. No matter how convincing he sounds in regards to how you and your country will benefit, do not trust him.  He has more sinister plans up his sleeve.” 

James watched as she spoke with the Bolivian president.  He knew in his gut that they were making a big mistake.  If this went balls up, it would not only be her job on the line, but her life as well; even more than it already was.)

"I would appreciate if you keep this information between us. It's in everyone's best interest."

Bond had to refrain from rolling his eyes as she hung up the call.

"That information won't stay secret for long, M."

"You think I don't know that, James, but more what can we do?"

M knew he wouldn't be pleased with that answer. "Look, perhaps we should get some sleep. Tanner should be here tomorrow. If luck is on our side, hopefully we can arrest White, and get one step closer to bringing down Quantum."

"I hope you're right, M."

For all their sakes, she hoped so, too.

"So, some sleep, M? Are you sure that's all you intend for us tonight?" He smirked.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response. You know, James, patience is a virtue." 

"And you know patience is something I don't have."

"Quite, but for this time you are going to learn to have it." She informed him sweetly.

"M..."

She merely chuckled, laid down on her own bed, and stared over at James who was pouting.

"If the circumstances were different, James, and you weren't injured, then there could have been a possibility. I mean even if we joined the beds together it still wouldn't be efficient. But then again we may not have needed the beds. The walls seem to be quite supportive. "There is always next time I suppose." She sighed wistfully. “Well, goodnight, James."  She masked a smile at hearing him groan, no doubt imagining everything she had just said.

James looked over at M, noticing she had indeed gone to sleep. He would get his own back on her for teasing him. He couldn't get the images out of his head. Sleep wouldn't be coming easy for him tonight; that the woman was a damn tease. He kept his eyes on her, watching as her face relaxed in sleep.  She really was beautiful.  He had no idea how much time passed before he, too, fell into an uneasy sleep; his dreams filled with him, M, and a wall.  

/*\\*/*\

While M and James slept, Mitchell made his way to Vesper's room, needing to find out what the woman had said to M.

Vesper sat up when she saw Mitchell in the doorway. 

“What do you want? I haven't told her anything about your involvement if that's what you're worried about."

"Really?  Then do enlighten me on why she seems wary of me." He hissed through clenched teeth.

"I don't know. I can't control the way she acts around you. She doesn't suspect you. She is probably on guard unsure of who she can trust."

"For your own sake, Miss Lynd, you had best be right. If you fail us one more time, you're finished. I'll make sure of that myself."

"Are you threatening me? White won't be happy, and my job isn't finished yet."

"I can assure you, it's a promise. As for your job, you can easily be replaced. Surely White informed you of that.”

Vesper nodded, knowing he was right; she should just tell M what she knew and be done with it, but she couldn't. As much as she wanted to, she valued her own life more than the life of the other woman. She was old anyway, chances were she didn't have many years left in her. 

"Then you are aware of White’s plan?"

"I am. I won't fail, Mitchell."

"For your own sake, I hope you don't. It will be such a pity to have to kill you. Would be such a waste." His eyes roamed her body.

She suddenly felt exposed at the way Mitchell was looking at her.

"If that's all you came here for, I would like to get some sleep so if you could leave that would be appreciated."

"What's wrong, Miss Lynd, afraid I'll take advantage of you?" Mitchell smirked.

"Don't worry, you're not my type. I prefer my women in control. Goodnight, Miss Lynd, try not to worry too much." He mocked before leaving her room.

As soon as the door closed, she let out a breath she didn't know that she was holding. She felt tears fill her eyes, before she angrily threw the love knot necklace across the room. Laying on her bed, she turned on her side and stared out the window, thinking back to when her life seemed a lot more simple, and she didn't have to worry about anything or anyone. But as of now, those days seemed to be long gone.

 


	13. The Capture of Mr White

* * *

M was aroused from sleep by the sound of hushed voices.  Opening her eyes she could blearily make out the figure of James sitting up on his bed talking to Tanner.

"You got here quick." She muffled a yawn behind her hand.

"Good morning,  Ma'am. How are you feeling?"

"Better than what I was. I must look a sight." She sat up, and ran her fingers through her hair, then smoothed out her clothes, trying to make herself look somewhat presentable.

"A lovely sight at that," James told her with a smile.

Tanner looked between them,  noting the way they both seemed at ease with each other. They definitely were a good match. He had never seen M, or Bond for that matter, this relaxed. They were usually at each other’s throats, so this was a nice change, he had to admit, if slightly weird.

"I'm glad you think so, James." She rolled her eyes.

Tanner tried to keep the grin off his face, but M caught it and narrowed her eyes.

"Care to enlighten us on what's so amusing?"

“Just that, if the two of you are going to try to be discrete, neither of you are doing a very good job.   It was bad enough when you were at each other’s throats, people thought you were in a relationship. But this-" He waved his hands between Bond and M. 

"Will prove them right."

"You just have to hand it to your employees, M, they are quite perceptive," James said with a grin. 

"Don't start, Jam... Bond."

"Surname is it now, M?" James asked, finding the whole situation amusing.

She ignored him, and looked toward Tanner. "None of this conversation leaves this room. Do I make myself clear?"

Tanner nodded, he valued his life. He didn't need M hunting him down and stringing him up.  

"Let's hope your new found relationship stays this way."

"Well, it's a relationship of sorts." M refused to talk about this with Tanner.

"Of sorts?" Tanner asked, curiously.

"She means we haven't done the deed yet."

"Bond! If I need your input, I'll bloody well ask for it!"

Tanner closed his eyes.  "Too much information, Bond, I didn't have to know that."

"Sorry, Tanner, but as I was saying, it's a relationship of sorts. I never intended for it to happen, but it has, and that's all there is to know."

"I have to admit, when I first realised you were in a relationship I was a tad surprised, I didn't expect you to reciprocate his feelings, Ma'am."

"What do you mean you were only a tad surprised?" she asked defensive.

"The way you both bicker back and forth you're like a married couple, and don't get me started on the sexual tension every time you are both in the same room."

"Tanner..."

"I'm happy for you both, Ma'am, and your secret is safe with me. If anything, I'm relieved.  If I had to suffer through anymore of your antics, I was going to lock you both in a room until you did something about it."

"Yes, well... thank you, Tanner." It was the first time that she felt unsure as how to respond to him. She decided to hurry the conversation along.

"Now, that's out the way. Let's get back on topic shall we?"

"Bond has been filling me in, Ma'am. The agents are already on their way to White's location. I've set up communication in one of the empty rooms." He looked at his watch.  “They should be arriving in just under twenty-five minutes." 

"Very well, that gives me enough time to freshen up." M got up out of the bed, and made her way to the bathroom.

Tanner waited until the door had closed before he rounded on Bond.  "Let's make one thing clear, Bond. While I'm happy you are both in a relationship, if you hurt her in any way, or if you’re just using her to say you've slept with the boss,  it's not M you'll have to watch out for,  it's me. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal, Tanner. I wouldn't use her like that. She means more to me than you will ever know."

"If I didn't know any better I would say you have fallen in love with her."

"I am; always have been, and always will be."

Tanner seemed satisfied with the answer, and smiled. "Well then, congratulations again, Bond, she has made a decent man out of you after all."

The bathroom door opened, and M stepped out, stopping in her tracks to stare at the two men.

"What were you both discussing?" She looked back and forth between them, raising an eyebrow at their abrupt silence.

"Nothing much, Tanner was just asking when I can start getting up and about again," Bond lied.

"I see." M didn't believe a word of it.

"The nurse came by while you were asleep. Apparently I could start trying today, thank god. If I have to spend another moment in this bed, I'm going to go insane."

"It's for your own good. Let's hope you can follow the doctors and nurses’ orders for a speedy recovery, then," M told him matter-of-factly.

"You ready, Tanner? Let's get this over with."

Tanner stood up, and moved towards the door. "I'll give you both a few minutes alone."

Once the door had closed, M crossed her arms over her chest. "What were you discussing with Tanner?"

"I told you..."

"And I wasn't born yesterday."

"Fine, he gave me the if I hurt you, you deal with me speech."

"He what?!"

"Relax, M, he cares about you. He's just doing what any good friend does."

M uncrossed her arms and sighed. She had to admit that she and Tanner did have a decent working relationship, and she considered him a friend, but that didn't mean she wasn't mortified that he thought that she couldn't fight her own battles.

"Leave the man alone, M. Given my reputation you can hardly blame him for being protective."

She knew he had a point, but James was overprotective enough without another wanting to defend her honour.

"Perhaps, but I had best get a move on. Maybe I'll be back in time for your celebratory bed leave."

"You better be." He puffed up his pillows wanting to get more comfortable. "Will be nice to have a decent bed again as well. How you could sleep in one of these peacefully is beyond me."

"You're worse than a woman, James. I'll be back later."

She leaned in, and gave him a kiss. Bond held her in place, enjoying the brief moment of bliss they were getting, before M had to leave him yet again. M finally pulled away, and traced his cheek with the pad of her thumb.

"Behave for the nurses, James."

"I'm not making any promises."

M shook her head, and left the room, meeting Tanner in the corridor.

"Ready, Ma'am?" he asked when he saw her exit the room. 

"Let's get this over with."

Tanner led her to the third room down, and upon entering, M made note of the surveillance equipment that was set up, and made her way to one of the seats.

"I spoke to Mitchell upon arriving, Ma'am."

"I see."

"He was updating me on Vesper, but he also mentioned you seemed off with him."

"I have my reasons, Tanner, but until I know more I'm not jumping to conclusions."

"Christ you think he's apart of it?"

"Perhaps.  As I say I don't know for certain. Bond is adamant that he is, and his instincts are never wrong."

Tanner had to agree. Bond had proven right on more than one occasion. He heard a beep from his watch, and looked down at it. "Ten minutes until they reach White's location."

"Thank God. I'm going to need a holiday after this."

Tanner smiled, and took a seat next to her. "The two of you should get away for a few weeks. I can handle this mess until you get back"

"I can't allow you to do that, Tanner.  Bringing down this organisation is more important than holidays."

"It will do you both some good.  Even if White is caught, it's going to take us time to obtain any information from him. I can even keep you updated. I know Bond will appreciate having time alone with you. God knows when the next time you both will get some downtime once all of this gets out."

"I'll think about it, Tanner, but I'm not promising anything."

Tanner looked at the monitor noticing the agents were nearly at White's estate. It was almost show time.  

/*\\*/*\

Mitchell stood outside the door listening to the conversation inside the room; he knew they were up to something. He could feel his palms sweating as his suspicions were confirmed.  M was losing trust in him. When he heard Tanner say agents were on their way to White's location he wondered how they had gotten his information. Stepping away from the door, he wasted no time in making his way down the corridor, and outside, dialling White's number.

**"This had best be good news, Mitchell."**

"You need to leave, agents are on their way to your position as we speak."

**"How long?"**

"Ten minutes."

White hung up, and Mitchell knew it was just a matter of time before they caught on that he was a traitor, even though it seemed Bond had already came to that conclusion. They needed to move their plan along quickly if it was to be a success. He just hoped White managed to escape in time, otherwise all of this would have been for nothing.

 


	14. Confessions and a Promise

* * *

M and Tanner were in the room as the agents were getting into position, hoping that White was still there. M knew the chances were small, but she would take anything she could at this moment in time. Placing the comm in her ear, she waited with bated breath, as she watched the agents scatter around the perimeter.

**"Entering White's estate now."**

"If you find White you are to capture him and bring him in for questioning."

**"Copy that, Tanner."**

M continued to watch the monitors. She raised an eyebrow at the décor; at least she knew where half of the government funds went too. She saw a group of agents cautiously making their way up the stairwell and approach the first room on the landing.

**"Kitchen and living room are clear. Moving into the dining area."**

Tanner looked to M, noticing she hadn't taken her eyes off the screen.

"We'll get him, Ma'am."

"I hope you're right, Tanner."

The minutes ticked by with no luck, and M was losing hope. She was on the verge of telling Tanner to call the agents off when the sound of gunfire filled her earpiece.

"Report. What is your situation?"

**"Target sighted, Ma'am."**

"Proceed with caution. Injure him if need be, but keep him alive."

M watched as two agents crumpled to the floor, not quick enough to evade White's bullets; their injuries didn't look too serious from what she could gather, well at least she hoped they weren't.

She stood, and began to pace the room, as gunfire continued to be exchanged between the agents and White.  When it suddenly stopped, she turned to face Tanner, who looked as confused as she did.)

"Report."

**"Suspect is apprehended, Ma'am. We've got him."**

M sighed in relief, which Tanner echoed.

"Take him to the safe house, and Tanner will meet you there. Keep your eyes on him at all times. We don't need to lose him after capturing him. How are the injured agents?"

**"They're fine, Ma'am, minor injuries."**

"Good, make sure they are seen to. I want some agents to remain at his estate; there may be some evidence that we can use to our advantage."

**"Understood, Ma'am."**

"Excellent work."

**"Thank you, Ma'am."**

M took the comm from her ear, and tossed it on the desk.

"It seems luck was on our side." Tanner smiled.

"Perhaps."

"What are you thinking, Ma'am?"

"All of this, capturing White, it seems too simple. When has capturing an assailant ever been this easy, Tanner?"

"With respect, Ma'am, I think you are looking too much into this. We have captured him that's the main thing."

M sighed. "But how long will we have him in custody for before he tries anything?"

"We'll worry about that should the occasion arise. For now, you had best give Bond the good news."

"I'm surprised he hasn’t come in here."

"Don't jinx it. He will be disrespecting your orders again in no time I'm sure."

"Quite, but until then I want you to take Mitchell, Miss Lynd, and a three agents to the safe house." 

"Ma'am?"

"If Mitchell is working for White, let's see how he reacts to being in the same room as him."

"Are you sure that's wise? What about you?"

M smiled. "I think I will take that vacation after all, Tanner, but keep me updated on everything you find out."

"That won't be a problem. I'll go inform Mitchell of our plan, and get everything ready."

"Keep an eye on him, Tanner.  Until we know otherwise, he isn't to be trusted."

Tanner nodded, and watched as she turned to leave.

"Enjoy your time with Bond, Ma'am. You both deserve it."

M turned to see Tanner giving her a sincere smile that she could not help returning.

"Thank you, Tanner."

M made her way down the corridor back to James' room, and let herself in to see James in the same position she had left him. His eyes brightened up at seeing her.

"Well, did they capture him?"

"As of now, White is currently in MI6 custody. We got him."

James had known her long enough to know she was still on edge, despite White being caught.

"You still sound unsure."

M made her way over to him, and sat herself down on his bed.

"It just feels too simple, James."

"Sometimes luck is on our side, M, and today is one of those times. Today doesn't appear to be so bad after all."

"Then you may want to know that after you are healed, we have a chance of a small vacation."

"I never thought I would see the day the head of MI6 would willingly take a holiday. Did Tanner have anything to do with this?"

"Perhaps, so what do you say?"

"I say I should probably thank Tanner for making you agree to a holiday, but first you owe me a kiss."

"Do I? I don't seem to recall owing you anything."

"After the stunt you pulled last night I think a kiss should make up for it." 

"Just a kiss?"

"Well I'm game for anything if you are." He gave her a sly grin. 

M leaned closer so that her lips were only centimetres from his. 

"I thought you might be, but I seem to remember telling you it will take two dates before anything happens. So, if anything you owe me, Mr Bond."

Bond groaned, causing M to smirk, as she felt one of his hands wrap around the back of her head and brought their lips together; softly kissing her. When his warm, rough lips met hers, she closed her eyes and returned his kiss, placing one hand on his chest,  the other on the pillow behind him to keep herself balanced. The kiss was passionate, exciting, sending waves of arousal through her body. She wanted him, but now was not the right time. 

"Oh, god I'm so sorry!"

M pulled herself away from James and stood, turning at the sound of the voice to see Tracy standing in the doorway, a blush covering her cheeks.

"It's fine," M said, trying to get her breathing under control, while James was caught between amusement and annoyance.

"What can we do for you, Tracy?" James asked, trying to keep the smile from his face.

"I came to see if you wanted to get out of that bed for a few hours, but I can come back later if you prefer."

"No, no need for that, Tracy. I'm sure James would love the chance to go out for a while."

"Good, well I'll be back with a wheelchair."

"I can walk."

"Yes, but it's for when you go outside or if you become exhausted."

"Oh..."

M tried to keep the grin from her face at seeing Bond being put in his place; it certainly made a change from her doing it.

"I'll be back in a few moments."

"I would knock first the next time!" James called after her.

"I did." Tracy sniped back.

"Now where were we, M?" He asked when Tracy had left the room.

"Give it a rest, James. I have never been so mortified in my life." 

"Relax, M, there's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Maybe for you. I'm too - "  

"If you are about to say old you can stop that train of thought right there, M."

She noticed that any trace of amusement that was on his face only a few seconds ago was now gone.

 “I was going to say mature, but even that defence appears to disappear when I am around you.”

"Is that good or bad?" He raised a curious eyebrow.

"I haven't decided yet."

Their conversation was halted by Tracy returning to the room with a wheelchair. Leaving it at the door, she made her way over to James' bed, and quickly looked over his vital signs; satisfied with what she saw.

"Well, you'll be pleased to know we can remove the IV that you seem to be fond of pulling out."

"That was one time. Besides the matter called for it."

He tried not to wince as he felt the needle being removed from the back of his hand, before it was replaced with a small dressing to cover the puncture wound.

"I think, that's us, whenever you're ready."

M hovered near his bed as he threw back the covers and moved to the edge of the bed.

"I don't know about either of you, but I think shoes would be helpful."

M rolled her eyes, as Tracy handed M a pair of slippers, which she dropped at his feet. Sliding them on he stood, letting out a wince as his body protested the movement.

"Are you sure you are up to this, James?" M looked up at him for any sign of pain.

"Positive. Shall we go?"

The three of them managed to make it outside into the gardens without any difficulty. It took a few moments for his eyes to adapt to the bright rays of the sun shining down on them, and then, looking around, he found a somewhat shaded area with some wooden seats, and made his way over to it with M and Tracey following after him. Taking a seat on the wooden seat nearest to him, he closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth spreading through him.

"I'll leave you both to it. You know where to find me should you need anything."

"Thank you, Tracy," M told the younger woman in gratitude.

She nodded, and left the wheelchair over to the side,  then made her way back inside.

"You know, M. This place isn't so bad after all." He took in the scenery around him; noticing the green hills, and clear blue skies.

"It is rather peaceful I'll give you that." M took the seat next to his, and looked out at the horizon in front of her before turning back to James, giving him a smile.

James swung his legs up onto the seat, and laid back against it, closing his eyes while M looked on fondly, lost in her own thoughts.

"You know if you keep over-thinking, M, you're going to give yourself a headache." James smiled faintly, his eyes still closed.

“Oh be quiet, and rest, James."

He had no idea how long had passed when he heard M's voice calling to him. Opening his eyes, he saw her perched on his seat, staring down at him.

"Hello." He smiled at her.

"Hello yourself." She couldn't help returning the smile, tracing the side of his face with her fingers.

"You all right?"

"I'm fine, James. I was about get a drink, and was wondering if you wanted anything."

"Are we talking an actual drink or another matter, cause if it's the latter, you know my answer to that question."

She bowed her head trying to hide her smile. Regaining her composure, she lifted her head, and looked at him, noticing the dopey expression on his face. An expression she had seen on his face more than once whenever he looked at her in moments like this.

"Why are you looking at me as if you haven't seen me in years, James?"

"It makes me feel reborn," he told her truthfully.

She merely raised an eyebrow at the answer. "If you had just been born, wouldn't you be naked?"

"You have me there, M. You can have me anywhere."

"Well, perhaps not anywhere, James. I would rather not be caught at the office by nosy agents or my Chief of Staff."

James chuckled fondly, which turned into a groan at hearing the new voice.

"Hello."

"Oh perfect timing," James said under his breath, rolling his eyes to which he received a swat from M.

James and M both turned to see Mr Mendel walking towards them briefcase in hand.

"Monsieur Mendel. How are matters in Switzerland?" M asked, standing up as the man approached them.

"My apologies, I do not mean to rush, but one hundred and fifty million is a large sum of money." He placed the briefcase down on the table and opened it.

"It certainly is. You didn't bring any chocolates with you?" James asked amused.

"I'm afraid not." He let out a nervous laugh causing Bond and M to look at each other.

"If you would type in the account number."

M stepped forward, and quickly typed in the new account number and pressed enter.

"And now the password."

"You can do that," James told her with an innocent smile.

M narrowed her eyes at him, remembering full well what he had used for the password. Entering her name, she pressed enter, then retook her seat next James.

"The funds have been transferred. Sorry for disturbing you." Mendel closed, and locked the briefcase before picking it up, and looking at the both of them.

"Auf Wiedersehen."

"Auf Wiedersehen, Herr Mendel," James replied watching him go, then turned to M wondering what was going through her mind.

"What's going on in that beautiful mind of yours, M?"

"Still trying to get my head wrapped around us." She looked straight at him.  "I'm not one for showing my emotions as you well know, but I want you to know that despite everything that happened with Le Chiffre you're still more of a man than anyone I've ever met."

James never took her eyes off her as she continued.

"But I also know you are not going to let me in there, fully are you? You can try to hide it, but you've got your armour back on."

He reached out, and took one of her hands in his, entwining their fingers, and looked her straight in the eye.

"Truthfully, M, I have no armour left. You've stripped it from me. Whatever is left of me, whatever I am. I'm yours. I always have been." He placed a kiss on the back of her hand.

M felt her words catch in her throat.  She never thought in a million years that she would be in a relationship with James Bond, but there was no denying he had gradually wormed his way into her heart, capturing it in the process. If she had caused him to lose his armour, then he had melted the ice around her heart. She never thought it possible, but she guessed if James was involved, then anything was possible.

"I love you, M, I'll show you everyday if I have too."

She smiled fondly. "I know that now. As much as I have tried to deny it, I guess my feelings for you were always there.  It just took this mission to realise it."

"So, no regrets?" James joked.

"No regrets. Not anymore."

"I'm glad.  It would be awkward being in a boat travelling with you if you didn't feel the same." He winked.

"A boat? What are you planning, James?"

"We'll, since we both have some time off, and once we get out of here, why don't we take a trip to Venice? I heard it's quite nice this time of year."

M looked at him fondly.  "Venice it is then."

She leaned in, and gave him a kiss, smiling into his mouth as he quickly deepened it; the rest of the world disappearing as they both got lost in each other.

/*\\*/*\

White sat in the back of the black SUV between two agents; hands cuffed in front of him. He looked at his watch, and smirked to himself. He would let them think they had him where they wanted him, but he would not be in their custody long. It would soon be time to show not only MI6, but Bond and M what they were really facing, and he would make them regret ever finding out about him or Quantum.

 


	15. A Well Deserved Vacation

* * *

The next few weeks passed without incidence. James was on the mend, and Tanner along with Mitchell and Vesper had left for the safe house where the agents were taking White. They still hadn't managed to get anything from the man, and M knew Tanner was becoming frustrated, if his phone calls were anything to go by. Then there was James. When she had told him Mitchell would be going with Tanner, his demeanour changed. It was one of much relief that he would be out of the way, but she could tell there was still a hint of unease.

She watched as James paraded around the room, enjoying the freedom of being out of his bed. He was back to his normal self, or somewhat normal for James. She doubted whether the man had ever been normal.

"James, would you sit down. I think you have more or less proved you're somewhat healed."

He stopped his pacing, and looked at her. "Then why can't we just leave. You just said it yourself I'm healed."

"It's not up to me. I'm not exactly enjoying staying here anymore than you are."

"We could always sneak out." He grinned.

"And go, where?"

"I thought we agreed on Venice."

"We did. But how do you suggest we get there. It's not like we've had a chance to see about this so called boat you have been going on about."

She saw the mischief in his eyes, and knew he was up to something.

"What have you gone and done, James?"

"Bought us a yacht. We can leave whenever we want."

"How the hell did you manage that?"

"I have my ways."

M narrowed her eyes. "Tanner had something to do with this, didn't he?"

"Perhaps."

"You both better not have not used government funds."

"Relax, M. I paid for it myself. I gave Tanner the money, and he did the rest."

Her face softened at his admission. She felt slightly guilty for suggesting he used other means to pay for it. But given his past record who could blame her?

"And where do we pick up this yacht that you so generously paid for?"

"It's already here." He informed her innocently.

"I beg your pardon."

"You heard me. It's docked just down by the gardens."

"Aren't you prepared?"

She watched as he walked toward her, stopping to drop to his knees, and reached under the bed, pulling two bags with him.

"Most definitely."

He gave her a charming smile, and rose from the ground, wincing slightly as he felt the skin pull on his shoulder from the healing bullet wound. 

M saw him wince, and took his hand, and gently pulled him to sit on the bed next to her. 

"You were told to take it easy, James. You may feel better, but it doesn't mean your body has fully healed."

"It's nothing I can't handle."

She gave him a disapproving look at his nonchalant attitude.

"Besides, I think it's time to show you our transport, and see if it meets your approval."

"And if it doesn't? What then?"

"I'll worry about that when you see it." He gave her a tender kiss, before standing up and pulling her to her feet. 

"Besides, I think you will like it." He grabbed her hand, and gently tugged her along with him.

M found herself smiling softly at James' enthusiasm about showing her their yacht. They were nearing their destination when James suddenly stopped, causing M to nearly bump into him.

"Close your eyes, M."

"James..."

"If you won't do it, I'll do it myself."

"Fine.”  She closed her eyes.  “I feel ridiculous."

She lets James guide her the rest of the way. She could smell that they were near the sea when they once again stopped.

"Okay, you can open them."

M blinked a few times to get her eyes to adjust, and then she saw it. The yacht itself really was not anything special, but there was something, something she couldn’t put into words that made it so appealing to the eye.  The outside of the cabin appeared to be made of mahogany; the polished wood gleaming in the sunlight. The rest of the deck’s surface was made from a lighter wood which contrasted nicely against the darker reddish brown of the cabin exterior.

"Well, what do you think?" he whispered in her ear.

"I think it meets my approval, but I'll pass judgment once I see what below deck is like."

"Your wish is my command."

He guided them both onto the yacht, and downstairs into the cabin. Like the exterior of the cabin, the interior was made of the same wood, if not a little lighter in colour. Looking around, there was a small kitchen area, a sofa and table area. Walking further in she noticed the shower and bed. Although it was a more confined space, she couldn't deny it met their daily needs.

"Well...?"

She turned to look at him, her face a blank mask, an eyebrow raised.

"It will make do."

"Does that mean you like it?"

"What do you think?" She finally let a smile break free.

"I think you like teasing me for the sake of it."

He wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her close.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers playing with the short stands of hair at the base of his neck.

"You know too well."

He leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips, softly at first, slowly pulling her closer,  deepening it, causing her to moan. All of his senses were overtaken by the woman in his arms. He took time exploring her mouth, basking in each soft moan she made. His hands found their way under her blouse, loving the feeling of her soft skin against his fingertips. They stayed in their embrace for a few minutes before M pulled away from him, breathing heavily, trying to get some much needed air back into her lungs.

"You do realise we are going to need to stock up on supplies don't you?" She looked up at him.

"Yes, I'm aware of that, M, which is why we will be making a few stops before going to Venice." He smiled.

"Oh really? Is there anything else you want to tell me while we're on the topic?"

"There is. But you will find out in the next few days." He informed her mysteriously.

"I don't know whether to be worried or intrigued."

"I would settle on intrigued," he whispered in her ear, smiling when he heard her breath hitch.

"What are you up to, James?" It came out as a whisper.

"You'll see. You won't have long to wait, but first I think it's time to see if we can finally leave and start our little trip. Don't you?"

She stared at him thoughtfully. "I suppose. I would rather not be kidnapped by you in the middle of the night."

"That's plan B out the window." He deadpanned.

She swatted him playfully on the arm; not putting it past him to try pulling a stunt like that.

"Let's go get our things.  The quicker we leave, the quicker I won't have to listen to you complain."

She pulled out of his embrace, and started to make her way back outside. James turned, and watched her, admiring the view, before following after her. Back in their room, James grabbed their bags while M made sure they had everything.

"Ready?"

"We will be once I notify the staff we are discharging ourselves."

James rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"Look, why don't you take those to the yacht, and I'll meet you there in a few minutes."

"You're kidding right?  There is no way I'm leaving you on your own."

"James, you can't be with me twenty-four-seven. I'll be fine." She was starting to lose patience.  He grumbled something under his breath, and reluctantly agreed.

"Don't be long." He pressed a kiss to her lips, then made his way from the room.

M took a few deep breaths, and made her way to the reception. Seeing the nurse, she informed her that she and James would be leaving. She was thankful when the nurse at the station simply agreed.

"Before you go, a man left this here for you." She handed M an envelope.

"Did he say what it contained?" M warily took it from her.

"No, he just asked me to pass it on to you."

"Very well, thank you."

M waited until she was away from the reception before she opened the envelope. Taking out the piece of paper, she unfolded it to see a single sentence scrawled across the page.

_'Your time is nearly up, M.'_

Scrunching up the paper in her hand, she placed it in her trouser pocket, trying not to let the threat get to her. Making her way to James, she put a smile on her face when she saw him waiting for her on the deck of their yacht.

"Everything go okay?" He held out his hand for her, which she gratefully took, as he helped her onto the yacht.

"More than okay. So, do you know how to actually drive a yacht, James?" she asked somewhat curiously.

"Of course I do. Do you doubt me?" He mock pouted.

"No. But I'll believe it when I see it."

He flashed her a cocky grin, and moved to unhook the rope,  then made his way to the steering wheel. It was a few moments before M felt the yacht come to life, and then they were pulling away from the villa. She took tentative steps to where James was, then sat in the nearby seat, as she felt her stomach begin to feel a little queasy; it’d been many years since she’d been on a boat.

She looked around her once they were out in the open canal, noticing just how blue the water actually was. The full landscape was breathtaking, mountains with their white peaks, and the various small islands each with their own villas surrounded by trees. The sea looked as if it stretched on for miles, and as much as she tried to enjoy it, she could feel the note burning a hole in her pocket.

"How am I doing so far?"

His soothing voice brought her back to the present, seeing his smiling face she smirked.

"So far so good. Make sure you keep it that way."

"Yes, Ma'am."

/*\\*/*\

** Safe House - Classified Location **

Tanner was losing patience with the lack of answers from White. He was getting no closer to acquiring the information about Quantum than that which they already knew. He wished he could wipe the smug grin from White's face, whenever he asked how Bond and M were currently doing. He ignored the comments, thinking it was White's way of getting a reaction from him, but he wasn't falling for it.

Making his way back into the room, he saw White lean forward resting his cuffed hands on the table.

"Back again, Mr. Tanner. I thought you would have given up by now. My answers are still the same. You won't get anything from me."

"You seem so sure of yourself, White. There's one thing you should know about us. We will do this routine for as long as it takes until you cooperate. So, you can either make both our lives easier, and tell us what we want to know, or you can stay like this. What will it be?"

"Tell me? How is Olivia enjoying her time off? I was quite surprised she would settle for one of her agents. Especially one as reckless as Mr. Bond."

Tanner narrowed his eyes. It was the first time he had called M by her real name and he wondered how the bastard managed to find that out. Better yet, how did he know M was on vacation with Bond? No one knew that piece of information except him.

"What makes you think she is on vacation? As I recall recuperating didn't count as a vacation."

White let out a laugh. "Come now, Mr. Tanner do you really think I'm stupid? I have  ears. But there is something..." He leaned closer across the table.  "You may want to check in with her to make sure she's okay. It would be a shame if anything were to happen to the lovely head of MI6."

Tanner marched from the room,  White’s laughter following after him. Pulling out his mobile, he dialed M's number.

/*\\*/*\

M was below deck, unpacking some of their clothes, when she heard her mobile vibrating on the table where she had placed it. Picking it up, she saw Tanner's number flash on the display and quickly answered the call.

"Tanner..."

**"M, are you alright?"**

"I'm fine, Tanner. Why?"

She heard him release a relieved sigh on the other end.

**"Where is James?"**

"Currently steering the yacht. Tanner will you just tell me what's happened. "

**"It's nothing. Just something White said. He's taunting us, M. Trying to get information from White is like trying to get blood from a stone."**

"Keep trying, Tanner. He'll use mind games to keep you distracted. Whatever you do, do not believe anything he says. He's delaying us."

**"Very well, Ma'am. I think you were right about your hunches earlier. There is something not right with this full scenario. He knew you were on vacation. No one knew that information except from me. So, how the hell did White know?"**

M turned at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs to see James.

"I don't know, Tanner, but I trust you to find out. Keep me updated. "

**"I will do, Ma'am.  Stay safe. Both of you."**

"We will, Tanner."

Hanging up, she placed the phone back on the table as James’ arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

"What's happened?"

"White is playing mind games. Tanner was making sure that we were okay."

"Why wouldn't we be?"

She turned around in his arms, and looked up at him.

“White knows we are on a vacation. Tanner was the only one who knew."

"Why was he calling to tell you that?"

"Probably to make sure we were all right."

She diverted her eyes, and made to move out of his embrace, only for James to tighten his hold on her.

"Not so fast. What are you not telling me, M?"

"Nothing.  I've told you everything," she told him, knowing it was only partially the truth.

"I know when you're lying, M. Tell me."

She sighed, and reached into her trouser pocket. "It's nothing serious."

James searched her face.

"When I was discharging us, the nurse at the reception gave me an envelope, saying a man left it with them to pass onto me."

"What was it?"

She took out the crumpled piece of paper, and handed it to him, which he quickly took and opened.

She saw his face wash with hurt and anger.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"It's nothing- "

"This isn't nothing, M! It's a threat against your life! How can you take this lightly!?"

"It's not the first threat I've had in my lifetime, James! Nothing usually comes from them! It's just words. If whoever left that thinks they can scare me, they can think again."

"M - "

"Enough, James! This was the reason I kept it from you. I knew you wouldn't let it drop. Can we just at least try to enjoy this vacation without worrying about a small threat?"

She sat down on the bed feeling tired all of a sudden. James' face softened and he took a seat next to her.

"I just don't want anything to happen to you, M. I can't lose you. Call it a weakness if you want..."

"Oh my dear boy." She cupped the side of his face with one of her hands.

"You won't lose me, James. If anything comes from that threat, I know you will do everything in your power to make sure I'm safe."

"Damn right I will." He placed a kiss on the inside of her wrist.

She gave him a loving smile. "Now enough about this. Where have you brought us?  Because we’re either docked, or there’s a ghost steering the yacht.”

"Perceptive as always, love. Come on, I think you'll like it." 

She felt lighter at having told him about the note, and she knew she should have done it to start with.

"I thought we could spend tonight here, and then head to Venice tomorrow."

She took in the row of buildings not far from where James had docked them. There were a few tourists but despite that the area was peaceful.

"It's beautiful, James."

"I knew you would like it." He pressed a kiss into her hair.

"Come on, let's take a look around."

M nodded, and followed James, after he helped her step from the yacht.

"Do you not have to pay to dock here, James?"

“Already taken care of."

Taking her hand, the two of them started to explore the small resort. M looked around as they walked, trying to spot anything that would give her an idea where they were, then spotted a sign.  ‘Bellagio.’

They took their time strolling up the narrow streets, noticing the various shops and dining areas that were there. Going into the shop on their left, M took in the range of clothes that were on display. Letting go of James' hand she started to browse the various styles. James rolled his eyes fondly, and started to look at the men's sunglasses.

He spent ten minutes trying on various ones until he finally settled on a pair. Spying M, he saw her looking in a mirror, holding a dress in front of her. The dress itself was sleeveless, simple and elegant. Made from red satin, with a simple V-neck adorned with silver beading embellishments. There was no doubt in his mind she would look beautiful in it.

He watched as she placed it back, before making her way over to the other side of the shop. Walking over to where she had placed the dress he picked it up, and made his way to the counter, asking the woman that was there what style of shoes would go with it. Giving the shop assistant M's size, she brought back a pair of three inch silver crystal strapped sandals. He kept looking about for M noticing she was looking at the scarves and shawls, while the shop assistant finished wrapping up the dress and shoes. Paying for the items, he thanked the woman and walked over to M with bag in hand.

"See anything?" he asked smiling, as she put the shawl back.

"No, what about you?" She nodded towards the bag.

"Just some new shoes and polos, and a pair of sunglasses."

"And they say women are shopaholics."

James ignored the jibe, and looked towards the silver shawl she had been looking at.

"You should get that. It would look beautiful on you."

"It's not something I'll be able to wear on a daily basis, James."

"So!  Treat yourself. We are on vacation after all."

M finally relented, and five minutes later she had a bag similar to James in her hand.

"Happy?"

"Most definitely," he told her grinning.

They spent the rest of their afternoon looking around the other shops, purchasing what supplies they needed, as well as buying James a suit, before taking a stroll along the shore.

"So, where exactly is it we are staying tonight?" M asked curiously.

James merely smiled, but did not answer.

They walked along the shoreline before James changed direction, and took them up a hilly side street until they were outside an elegant building, which was away from the bustling market and tourists. Stepping inside, James spoke to the person in charge, and fifteen minutes later, they were guided to their villa. M's ears perking up at the mention of a meal later that night.

Walking inside, they noticed the long hardwood-flooring in the hallway, the walls painted in a cream colour with a few paintings decorating the wall. They took their time exploring the various rooms, noticing the same neutral colour scheme throughout. The master bedroom had a double bed in the centre, with silver silk bedding, and to the left was the master en suite bathroom. M wandered into the bathroom, and glanced around, taking in the full tub at the top of the room, with a shower to the side. She could certainly get used to this.

Walking back into the bedroom, she saw James propped up on the bed, arms behind his head. 

"Comfortable?"

"Damn right, this is the best bed I've laid on in weeks."

M knew he was right. "Well, while you enjoy the bed. I'm going to enjoy a bath. Try not to fall asleep will you."

"Like I would, knowing you're in there naked."

She kicked off her shoes, and made her way back into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Once James heard the tap running, he got up, and began to get everything ready. Determined to make tonight a night M wouldn't forget. 

 


	16. Moonlight Serenade

* * *

M came out from the bathroom, towel wrapped around her to see James was no longer on the bed. Instead, three boxes were situated in his place, along with the silver shawl she had bought earlier. Walking over she saw a note had been placed on top of the biggest box. She couldn't help the smile that broke free when she started to read it.

_My darling M,_

_Meet me out on the veranda for a night to remember. The boxes on the bed are a gift for putting up with me for as long as you have, and for making me one of the happiest men alive._

_Forever yours,_

_James._

Placing the note to the side, she removed the lid of the biggest box, and took out the red satin dress she saw earlier in the store. She was speechless. Now, she knew why he wanted her to buy the silver shawl. Laying it out on the bed, she moved to the medium box revealing the silver heels that would complement the dress. The last box she opened with confusion. Upon removing the tissue paper, she noticed the red silk knickers and chuckled fondly. 

"Typical James," she murmured aloud.

Removing her towel, she slipped into the underwear, followed by the dress, the hem of which reached the floor; the soft material cool against her skin. Walking to the full length mirror, she took in her appearance, noticing how the dress hugged her curves in the right places. She wondered if James realised just how revealing the back of the dress was, or the fact that there was a split at the front that stopped just above her thigh. Finding the makeup she had bought earlier, she applied a modest amount fixed her hair, and applied some perfume to her neck. Smirking to herself, she sat on the bed, and slipped on the heels, then fastened the straps. Standing up, she took the shawl and placed it around her shoulders, then made her way to the veranda.

Upon stepping out onto the veranda, her breath caught in her throat at seeing the area lit with small tea lights, creating a romantic atmosphere. She saw James standing next to the table that was set up for both of them; a bottle of wine and two glasses sitting on top.

"How did you manage all of this?" She finally found her voice.

"I called ahead when you were unpacking on the yacht, and asked them to set it up." He walked over to her.

“You know how to leave a woman speechless I'll give you that."

"I could say the same about you, M. That dress is beautiful on you."

"You look pretty smart yourself. Now I know why you bought the suit."

She took in his tailored light gray suit and white shirt complimented with a light gray tie which was slightly crooked. 

"You think you would be able to straighten a tie by now, James." She reached up to fix it.  "Much better," she said when she was finished, then placed a kiss on his lips. 

“So, I take it this is our second date?"

"It is, but I also wanted to treat you before we have to get back to the real world," he told her truthfully.

"You've certainly done that, James."

He brought one of her hands to his lips pressing a kiss to the back of it. "It's my pleasure, M."

"I think you can drop my title tonight, James."

"What happened to having me shot if I called you by your real name?"

"That was before. This is now. I can never repay you for going to all of this trouble, James. I'm not worth it."

"M..."

"Let me finish, James."

He merely nodded waiting for her to continue.

"I can't deny I'm flattered that you think I am. It's been years since someone has treated me the way you do. I've never felt as safe or as loved as I have than in these past weeks, and all of that is because of you. So, I think it's only fair that you get to call me by my given name. Think of it as my gift to you."

"I think that beats all my gifts combined, Olivia." He traced her face with the fingers of his free hand.

"Doubtful."

"Thank you." He cupped her face, and pressed several soft kisses to her lips.

"I should be saying that to you," she whispered against his lips.

"You never have to." He pressed one last kiss to her lips before guiding them towards their dining area.

James pulled out her chair, which she gratefully took, then watched as James took his own, and started to fill both their glasses with red wine.

"You better not get me drunk, James."

"Would I do that?" He replaced the bottle back on the table, and raised his glass.

"To new beginnings."

M smiled, and touched his glass with hers. "To new beginnings."

Taking a sip from her glass, she took in the fruity taste from the wine.  She wasn't too fond of wine usually, but she couldn't deny it did taste wonderful.

"What are we having for dinner?" She placed her glass back on the table, and clasped her hands together resting her chin on top of them as she looked over at James.

"Well to start with, we are having the antipasto platter, which will be followed by Pasta with Prosciutto and Melon, and for desert we will be having Tiramisu gateau." 

"Sounds wonderful."

He gave her a charming smile from behind his glass. He could still not quite believe she was sitting across from him. He watched as she looked around the area, and noticed how relaxed she looked. The candles creating a soft glow against her skin, making her look even more radiant if possible.

He came out of his thoughts when their server placed their starter on the table; James giving him a small thanks as he walked away.

"This looks delicious."

She took one of the small forks on the board next to the salami, and placed it in her mouth, letting out a soft moan at the taste. The sound went straight to Bond's groin. He didn't know how he was going to survive if she kept making those noises with every bite. She saw him squirming in his seat, and smirked to herself. She could tell this meal was going to be amusing.

Once the starter had been finished, their main course was brought out to them. James watched as Olivia took a bite of the pasta dish, his eyes following as she lifted the fork to her mouth as if in slow motion; her lips closing around the bite before she leisurely removed the fork, and began to chew softly.  He wondered how she could turn a simple act into a sensual experience. He watched as she swallowed the bite, amusement dancing in her eyes. 

"Are you just going to sit there watching me eat, James?" She smiled, knowing the effect she was having on him.

"I can't help it if you make eating pasta a sensual act."

Olivia chuckled.   “You're serious aren't you?"

He didn't say anything.

"Just eat, James."

"Yes, Ma'am. Although if that's how you eat your pasta, I don't think I'll survive the dessert."

"That would be unfortunate." She looked at him through half-lidded eyes.

James decided not to answer her, and kept his eyes diverted, which was proving easier said than done. When they had finished their mains, he let out a sigh in relief which Olivia heard. 

"Relax, James." She reached out, and took his hand in hers, entwining their fingers.

 “If only you knew the full extent of what you do to me, Olivia,” he told her, then reached for the wine, and topped up their glasses.)

"I'm sure I will find out soon enough."

He nearly choked on his wine at the unexpected comment.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine; just wasn't expecting that."

"So, I finally caught James Bond unawares. My, my how times are changing." She smiled behind her glass, before taking a drink.

"Hopefully for the better."

"They will be."

"Dance with me, Olivia?" he asked, surprising her with the question.

"There's no music, James." Thinking the wine had finally went to his head. She wondered if the wine had already gone to his head. 

"That can be fixed," he told her mysteriously.

"What...?"

She saw him reach in his pocket, and bring out a small remote. She looked in the direction he pointed the remote, and spied a small stereo.  Second later, Frank Sinatra’s Moonlight Serenade began flowing from the speakers.

She shook her head fondly as he placed the remote on the table, then stood up, gently pulling her up with him.

He wrapped one arm around her, his hand resting lightly on her waist, while keeping their linked hands resting against his chest, as her other hand rested on his shoulder.

"How did you know I liked this song?" She looked up into his eyes as they danced slowly to the music.

"Lucky guess. It's one of my favourites. So, I just went with it."

She smiled, and laid her head on his chest, getting lost in the moment. She couldn't help thinking that the lyrics suited their current situation, and it made her smile.

He rested his head on top of hers, loving the feeling of her in his arms.

"James..."

"Mm."

She leaned back to look at him, stopping their dancing.  "Why don't we skip desert?"

"I was thinking the same thing. Plus, I have one more surprise for you."

He captured her lips in a passionate kiss as he pulled her closer towards him so that she was flushed against his chest.

"What's the surprise?" she asked curiously once they had pulled apart.

"You'll see."

He released her, then guided her back into the villa, and through to their bedroom.  Once they were inside the bedroom, James turned to her, then reached up to trace her face.

"Lie in the centre of the bed for me.  On your front, please, and make sure to remove your dress.  I'll be back in a minute." 

He saw the hesitation in her eyes. "Trust me, Olivia." (

She slowly nodded, as he placed a kiss on her forehead. "I won't be long."

Olivia watched as he made his way toward the bathroom, wondering what he had in store. Sitting down on the bed, to remove her dress, leaving her clad in just her knickers, having left off the bra due to the backless design of her dress. As it hit the floor, she felt goose bumps spread over her body at being exposed to the cool air. She looked down at her body, wondering how he would react at seeing her unclothed. Hearing his footsteps, she lay down on her front, head turned to the side as it rested against her hands which were on the pillows.

James walked in, suit discarded, leaving him in his underwear much like herself. In his hands was two bottles. As he came closer she realised they were oils.

"So, you liked the underwear?" He raised an eyebrow placing the bottles on the bed, then dimmed the lights before joining her.

"I do.  Although should I be worried you know my size?"

He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck, then softly trailed his lips down her spine, leaving a tingling sensation where his lips had been.

"I wouldn't say so." He smiled against her skin.

She felt his lips leave her, then heard the sound of the bottle opening. She could smell a faint hint of lavender and chamomile. She tensed when she felt him straddle her hips.

James poured a generous amount of oil in his hand. Closing the lid, he tossed the bottle to the side,  then rubbed his hands together. Starting at the top of her shoulders, he started the massage with gentle circular motions of his thumbs. He heard her release sigh, and smiled. Focusing on his task he, he gradually made his way down her back using the same circling motion, feeling the muscles relax under his fingertips.

Applying more oil, he moved over to the side, and started massaging her inner thigh. When she didn't protest, he trailed his hands down the rest of her leg to the tips of her feet, and then repeated the action with her other leg.

She could not recall the last time she had felt this relaxed. His gentle touch was working wonders on her tight muscles. The feeling of his fingers on her inner thighs had her unconsciously spreading her legs just slightly more, as she got lost in the sensation. She could just hear his voice in her relaxed state. 

"Are you still with me?"

"Yes."

"I take it you like it."

 “If you could do this at the end of everyday when I get home, I would greatly appreciate it.”

He chuckled. "Gladly, but that would mean breaking into your flat everyday."

"As opposed to how often you do now?"

"You have me there." He kissed the base of her neck, then said, “Turn over for me."

"James..."

He placed another kiss to her bare shoulder at hearing the hesitation in her voice.

"You don't have to hide from me, Olivia."

"You won't like what you'll see"

"You couldn't be more wrong; believe me."

She felt a nervous shudder run through her body; her earlier relaxed state having disappeared. Pushing back her fear, she to turn over until she was on her back, her  body fully exposed to him. When she was met with silence, she knew it was a bad idea.

She was just readying herself to try to escape to the bathroom, when she felt James’ body pressing on top of hers, as he kissed her hungrily.

"You're beautiful, Olivia," he told her when the kiss ended, resting on his arm on the pillow next to her head so he could look down at her.

Their eyes met, and she saw the truth and love behind his words. Her mouth felt dry as she tried to form words.

"Do you know how many times I've fantasised about seeing you like this?"

"You've fantasised about me?"

"Every minute. Of every hour. Of every day." He punctuated each sentence with a series of feather light kisses to her lips, which left her wanting more.

As if reading her mind, he continued to trail kisses along the curve of her jaw; Olivia's eyes drifted closed, and she lifted her chin to offer her throat. Her hand trailed up his back until she reached his neck, then wove her fingers through his hair; never encouraging, just leaving him to continue with his slow pace. The feeling of his teeth gently nibbling her ear lobe sent ribbons of pleasure shooting through her body.

She felt his erection pressing against her, their underwear the only barrier separating them. The feeling of his erection stroking against her elicited a soft moan at the sensation. It had been years since she had been touched in such an intimate, loving manner. It felt right, and she knew this was where she was meant to be.

His kisses started to travel lower, his mouth nibbling along her shoulder, down her bare arm, each kiss causing goose bumps to spread across her skin, and feeding the ache between her legs a little more. She didn't want him to stop.  She held her breath as his lips kissed along her ribs, then up her chest, his tongue darting over one of her nipples, as he explored the small peak with his mouth. 

Olivia could not help the moan that escaped her as James started to suck and lick, her back arching to press her breast into his mouth, encouraging him.  It wasn't enough; she needed more. The one piece of clothing separating them taunted her.  She wanted him. All of him. Suddenly, she felt his mouth release her, as he rolled off her. Opening her eyes, she saw him on lying on his side, propped up on his elbow as he looked down at her. She missed the weight of his body on hers, which enhanced the emptiness between her legs where his erection had pressed enticingly against her.  Licking her lips, she wondered why he had stopped.  

"Tell me what you want." He traced her bottom lip with his thumb.

"I want you." Her eyes darkened with lust.

He lowered his face to hers, kissing her hungrily, coaxing her lips apart, and thrusting his tongue inside to explore her mouth. She responded just as passionately, curing her hands around his neck once again. His hand trailed down her chest, and he cupped one of her breasts in his hand, lightly squeezing as his thumb flicked over her nipple.  She arched into his touch and moaned as he pressed the hard tip between his thumb and forefinger.

"James... please,” she whined breathlessly against his lips. She could feel her arousal between her legs from his teasing.

He smiled, and traced his hands down her chest, past her stomach, and began to stroke her through her underwear. Her eyes closed, at the feeling of his fingers and her knickers rubbing against her sex. He was still teasing her, keeping his touch soft, making her want more. She spread her legs, demanding more.

"Lift your hips!" he demanded softly.

Not questioning why, she did what he asked, and felt him pull her panties down, then remove them. She was completely bared to him, but she was long past the stage of caring. She wanted this more than she thought possible. As he trailed his hands up her leg and inner thigh, she spread her legs wider, holding her breath as she waited for his touch where she had so desperately wanted it. His fingers brushed over her clit, as he started to kiss her, stroking the bundle of nerves slowly, making Olivia gasp.

He switched between hard and soft, and fast and slow touches. She could feel her stomach tightening with each stroke. Whenever she was close, he would slowly bring her back down. Every inch of her body felt like it was on fire, every inch sensitive, to James' touche.

"So wet, Olivia," he whispered in her ear, then gently nibbled her earlobe.

His words sent another wave of pleasure through her; her moans filling the room. She felt one of his fingers ease into her, as his thumb continued to tease her clit. He continued his slow pace as she felt his finger sliding in and out of her. She let out another gasp when she felt another of his fingers enter her, picking up the pace. Her hips responded meeting him with each thrust.  

"Oh God. James..."

"Let me see you come undone."

That was all she needed for her to come apart with a cry of his name.  A breathless moan escaped her as he continued to stroke her through the aftershocks of her release. She lay panting as she tried to get her breath back. She felt James remove his fingers, and whimpered at the loss. Once she had her breathing under control, she opened her eyes to see James' smiling face.

"How do you feel?"

She rolled onto her side to face him. "Like I've found something I thought I had lost." Reaching up, she stroked his face, running her fingers along his jaw.

He caught her hand in his, and placed a kiss to her palm. "And what was that?"

"Someone who makes me feel complete." She gave him a loving smile. She smiled lovingly. "And I think it's time, I return the favour."

"You don't have to. Tonight is about you," he told her tenderly.

"No. It's about us. And I want to, but first…" Her hand left his face, as she lightly traced her hand down his chest until she reached his hips.

"These have to go." She tugged teasingly on his boxers.

"That can be arranged." He quickly removed them, Olivia watching as his well-endowed erection was finally freed from the confines of the garment.

"Like what you see, Olivia?" He smirked, lying back against the pillows as he pulled Olivia on top of him.

She straddled his hips, and leaned down to kiss him passionately, as his arms circled around her back, holding her flush against his chest as she softly bit his lip.

"You're mine, James."

The possessiveness in her voice made him to groan. He had a feeling this woman would be the death of him. He felt her trail kisses down his chest,  and watched as she would look up at him every so often; smiling. Feeling her body leave his, he watched as she grabbed the oil he used earlier, pouring a generous amount into her hand. Tossing the bottle away, she moved back towards him, rubbing her hands together.

Tossing the bottle away, she moved close once again, and knelt between his legs.  James watched as she leaned over him, and began trailing kisses down his length.

"Christ, Olivia!" he moaned, as her lips were replaced with one of her oiled hands, as and she softly started to stroke him, her thumb tracing the head of his cock before repeating the action. If she continued with this pace, he knew his chances of surviving the rest of the night were slim.

/*\\*/*\

** Safe House - Classified Location **

White paced the room they had placed him in, only to stop when he heard his room door opening.

"Well?" he asked Mitchell as he entered the room.

"Tanner has decided to take you and Vesper back to London. When that happens, you won't have any chance of escaping."

He smirked. "Perhaps this could work in our favour. But I need to know I have your full co-operation on this, Mitchell."

"Of course."

"Then you won't mind killing a few of your fellow agents when the time comes?  We can't let any of them follow us. We only have one shot of this working, and you had better not mess it up."

"What is it you have in mind?"

"I need you to contact Gettler. Tell him the route, and he can cut us off. Let's see how Tanner deals with an ambush."

"That's a risk to take, White. What if it doesn't go to plan? Then we are all fucked, not just you."

"It won't fail. Do you have a location on our Olivia and Mr Bond?"

"M is still wearing her ring with the built-in tracker. They are currently at Villa Elika about four hours from here. Finding them won't be a problem."

White chuckled. "No doubt they have taken their relationship to the next level given Mr. Bond's reputation. It is such a waste really. That woman could do much better than a loose cannon."

"You mean with someone like you?" Mitchell smirked.

"I wouldn't mind getting my hands on her, and show her what a real man can do."

"What about Tanner? We can't let him live."

White's smile disappeared. "No, that's why you will be the one to kill him."

He moved across the room, and sat on the single chair that was there, picking up ' _The Once And Future King_ ' that Mitchell had smuggled in for him.

"Change is coming, Mitchell. And soon we will be the ones running the show."

/*\\*/*\

** Villa Elika **

James lay on their bed, Olivia cradled in his arms,  her head resting against his chest, fast asleep. Having her in his arms, he felt complete and content for the first time in years. It certainly wouldn't be an experience he would forget any time soon;  the way her body responded to his touches as he slowly pleasured her. He hadn’t taken it any further, knowing she wasn't ready, but it had been enough. She truly was beautiful, as he had always imagined she would be and, she certainly knew how to surprise him as well.

He reached up, and ran his fingers tenderly through her hair, and she murmured his name. He smiled: she was still asleep.

"I'll keep you safe, Olivia; I promise," he whispered, placing a kiss into her hair, as he realized that he never wanted to let her go.

"I love you, James."

He froze at hearing those three words; never expecting to hear them from her mouth. He felt warmth flow through him, and smiled. He hoped, she would be able to say the same words to him when she was awake.

"I love you too, Olivia,"  he whispered. Feeling relaxed for the first time in months, he let his eyes close, and joined the woman he loved in sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _The stars are aglow and tonight how their light sets me dreaming_   
>  _My love, do you know that your eyes are like stars brightly beaming?_   
>  _I bring you and I sing you a moonlight serenade_
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> __  
> _~ Frank Sinatra, Moonlight Serenade_  
> 


	17. The Continuity Plan

* * *

M awoke to see James propped up on his elbow staring down at her with a smile on his face that she could not help returning.

"Do you always watch people while they sleep?"

"No, only you."

"Well aren't I the privileged one."

His eyes lit up with amusement.  "Is that sarcasm I hear?"

Bond could see the mischievousness in her eyes.

"Why? What are you going to do if it is?"

He lay back down on the pillows, and pulled M on top of him, kissing her hungrily. He didn't think he would never tire of kissing her.

M moaned, before pulling back to stare down at him.  "Morning, James."

"Good morning, beautiful," he whispered.

"You know, if I knew this was how I would wake up in the mornings, I would have got with you sooner," she said with a small smirk.

"I knew I had been going about it the wrong way."

He gently rolled them over, gazing at her fondly as her body shook with silent laughter. She saw the thoughtful expression on his face, and had a good idea of what he was thinking about.

"Good thoughts are they, James?" She smiled knowingly.

"Most definitely." He moved off her, and lay back down on his side so he was facing her, and grasped one of her hands in his. Bringing her hand to his mouth, he pressed small kisses to her fingertips before entwining his fingers with hers.

She could feel her heart beating faster at the simple display of affection;  it told her more than any words ever could.

"Do you know you talk in your sleep?"

"Don't be ridiculous." She scoffed.

"I'm being serious. You kept muttering Tanner’s name. Is there something you aren't telling me, Olivia?"

"What? No of course not. Are you mad, James?" She leaned back from him as if he was crazy.

"I'm just telling it as I heard it."

"You heard wrong. There is nothing between me and Tanner except a professional relation...” She smacked his chest, when he started laughing. “You bastard.” 

"Is being with Tanner really that bad? The poor man," he asked her between laughs.

"Oh shut up."

He sobered up, but kept the smile on his face. "It just occurred to me."

"Mm, what?"

"I know everything there is to know about M, but I don't know everything there is to know about the woman behind the initial."

"I thought last night would have told you everything you needed to know." She raised an eyebrow.

"It did. However, I only just scraped the surface." He pulled her close to him, holding her in a tight embrace.

"What do you want to know?" she murmured against his chest.

"Tell me about your time in Hong Kong."

"I thought you knew everything about M." She tilted her head back to look at him.

"I do. Nonetheless, you can't honestly expect me to be believe that you were working all that time. You must have had some personal time." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"No, but I wouldn't want you to get jealous over ghosts."

"Why would I get jealous?" he asked, feigning nonchalance, but unable to completely hide the slightly jealous tone of his voice, and tightened his arms around her. 

"There is not much to tell, James. I had my fair share of relationships, but nothing ever came of them. With the job I did, I never really had time for a serious relationship."

"Until now." James couldn't help adding with a smirk.

"Don't push it, James."

"What about family?"

"My father was a Doctor;  my mother didn't work."

"Any brothers or sisters?"

"No. I think they realised I was more than a handful, without adding another child to the mix. I do have a cousin named Maggie who stays in Scotland, she was more like a sister than a cousin though."

"What is she like?" He softly stroked her arm.

"The complete opposite of me for a start. Tall, willowy, blue eyes with light brown hair. She was auburn when she was younger. We made quite a pair when people saw us together. She was the beautiful one. Men would fawn over her. If she turned them down, I was their back up choice. It got tiresome after a while. She would be more your type."

"I don't have a type. Besides I don't even know her. And even if I did, it would still be you." He pressed a kiss into her hair.

She saw the thoughtful look on his face. "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm wondering if those men back then needed their eyes tested."

"You would be surprised. Turns out I seemed to be more appealing as I got older."

"Young or old you're perfect to me."

"You can stop buttering me up, James, I'm already in bed with you."

"I'm merely stating the truth. So, tell me more about this cousin of yours. What does she do for a living?"

"She went the safe route.  Well if you can call working with children safe. She teaches Italian, though she should have retired six years ago."

"Another one who thinks she's invincible. Does she know exactly what you do for a living?"

"Yes. She was the one who told me to apply for a job with Six. So, I did. The rest you know."

"I need to thank her for that."

"If she doesn't slap you first."

"What? Why would she slap me?"

She lifted her head from his shoulder. "I may have ranted to her about your little stunts, and how you drive me crazy. No doubt you will be interrogated. She can be very protective."

"Great, I tried hard to finally have you, only to be warned off or killed by your cousin."

Olivia lowered her head, and pressed a kiss to his chest. "You'll be fine. I haven't spoken to her in months."

"Perhaps we could organise a visit?" James suggested.

"I think we could manage that."

She leaned up, and leisurely kissed him, smiling against his lips as she felt his hands begin to roam her body.

"But first I think a shower is in order." She nibbled teasingly on his bottom lip, before getting up, and leaving the bed.  She kept the duvet wrapped around her, as she made her way over to the bathroom, leaving James naked on the bed.

"Well, are you coming?" She looked over her shoulder with desire in her eyes.

She let the duvet drop to the floor outside of the bathroom door, then made her way inside. James did not need to be asked twice, as he quickly followed after her, closing the door behind him.

/*\\*/*\

** Safe House - Classified Location **

Tanner and Mitchell made their way into White's room, to find him sitting on the bed smirking at them. Tanner's gut instinct was telling him that something wasn't right, and the sooner he got White back to Six the better he would feel.

"That time already? I was just getting used to my prison."

"I'm sure your next one will be just as comfortable. Now get up."

White did as he was ordered, never taking his eyes off Tanner. Watching as he motioned for Mitchell to handcuff him.

"Is all this necessary? After all there are a dozen of you, and only one of me." He sarcastically informed Tanner as the cuff finished closing around his other wrist.

"I wouldn't trust you if my life depended on it."

"I would be careful what you wish for, Mr Tanner."

Ignoring him, Tanner turned his attention to Mitchell. "Take him to the car."

Tanner followed after them, as they made their way to the garage where the other agents were already waiting. Two black BMW X5 crossover SUVs were lined up.  The one on the right contained Vesper, while Mitchell placed White in the other, before climbing in after him. Tanner calculated it would take them roughly thirty minutes to reach Six's private jet;  thirty minutes too long for his liking.

Once he made sure everything was in position, he climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV that contained White, and motioned for the driver to get them out of there. It was more or less a straight road which should give them little trouble.

Tanner found himself occasionally looking in the review mirror, noticing White still had an insufferable grin on his face. He was about to comment when he heard the confusion from one of the agents filter through the comm from the SUV that was a good few feet in front of them.

The surrounding area suddenly erupted in gunfire. Tanner watched as the SUV containing three agents, and Vesper started swerving frantically across the road.

"Thompson come in!" Tanner commanded while trying to keep his head down as a cascade of bullets continued to ricochet off the SUV.

He felt himself being tossed from side to side, vaguely hearing Mitchell's voice over the sound of gunfire and shattering glass.

Looking behind him, he saw the rear windshield was gone, and Mitchell was currently shooting at the three silver BMW's that were tailing them.

A loud pop reached Tanner's ears, and the car weaved dangerously.

"What was that?"

"Back tire’s gone." The agent informed him trying to keep the worry out of his voice as he looked at his wing mirror. 

Suddenly, Tanner felt himself propelled forward, as one of the silver BMW's rammed into the back of them, and watched as the agent driving tried frantically to keep the car within his control.

Tanner held onto the dashboard in front of him, and looked to see one of the silver BMWs passing them, and ramming into the side of the SUV containing Vesper, causing it to steer off the side of the road, and out of his line of vision.

"Thompson!?" The sound of static reached his ears.

Occupied with what was going on in front of him, Tanner did not see Mitchell undoing White’s handcuffs, or the look White was giving Mitchell.

The sound of a single gunshot rang through the SUV. Tanner felt the agent’s blood splatter on the side of his face, and watched as the agent’s lifeless body slumped over the wheel.

Mitchell turned the gun on Tanner, finger ready to pull the trigger.

The car suddenly jerked, and Tanner fell forward, the bullet missing its target, smashing into the windshield instead.

Pulling on the handbrake, he tried to slow the car’s speed while trying to steer the wheel. The smell of burning rubber reached his nostrils with the effort involved.

His actions were futile. The BMWs pulled back as the SUV neared the bend on the road.

The next moments happened in a blur. Both Mitchell and White escaped the car just as it crashed through the metal barrier, and disappeared over the side of the road.

Tanner felt himself tumbling down the steep ravine; the sound of screeching metal the last thing he heard before darkness overtook him. 

From above, White stood up, feeling pain shoot through his shoulder. Making his way over to where Tanner and the SUV had disappeared, he looked down into the gorge, and saw the crumpled car lying on its roof. The only movement, was the smoke that billowed from the vehicle.

 


	18. White's Escape

* * *

"Sir, we have movement on M and Bond."

White turned to Mitchell. "Where are they?"

"They appear to be heading to Venice."

"Then Venice is our next stop"

The silver BMWs pulled up next to them. A man wearing a three piece suit, a hat and eye patch over his right eye got out of the car, and leaned on the open door.

"You've outdone yourself this time, Gettler." White smiled.

"For MI6 agents they aren't too bright. What about Vesper?" Gettler noticed the woman wasn't with them.

"Ah yes, Miss Lynd. I won't hold my breath she is still alive. However, I think it's only fair that we give her the benefit of the doubt. Gettler, take Mitchell, and see if she is still alive. If she is, she may still be of use to us."

Mitchell and Gettler nodded, and moved towards one of the cars.

"Mitchell. Your phone."

Mitchell walked back to White, and gave him his phone. The now cracked screen showed the GPS signal to Bond and M's location.

"I'll contact Gettler, and give you an exact location once they reach Venice. Meet us there."

Mitchell merely nodded, and walked back to the BMW containing Gettler, and climbed in. White watched as the car tracked back to where Vesper, and the SUV had been run off the road. If Vesper was dead, it would be a pity, but it wouldn't stop him from finishing what he started.

White clenched his teeth together as the pain in his shoulder became unbearable, but it was a small price to pay if he wanted the rest of his plan to succeed. He wondered how M would react to the knowledge that her precious Chief of Staff was lying in a ditch, most likely dead because of her orders. Even if he wasn't, the elements would eventually take care of him. Getting in the car, he informed the driver to take them to Venice. The second BMW followed behind them. The end was near, and he could not wait to relish in the moment.

/*\\*/*\

Tanner awoke to every inch of his body in pain. Groaning, he tried to open his eyes, only to have them water at the sharp pain piercing his head. Each breath caused another wave of pain.   His first instinct was to try and get out from the wreckage, but the effort involved seemed too much. Then he remembered White, who was no doubt on his way to find Bond and M.

Pushing his own pain aside, he reached to undo his seat belt. Pressing down on the release button, he manoeuvred his body from the seat, and fell, landing on the roof; biting down on his lip as pain shot through his chest. ' _Thank god for seat belts'_ he thought to himself through the pain.

Looking over to the other agent with him, he knew he hadn’t made it, the now dry, crusting blood he could see on the side of his face told him enough. There was nothing more he could do for him.

Kicking out the remaining glass from the passenger window he crawled his way out of the car.  Once he was sure he was a few feet away he tried to stand, pushing down the wave of nausea that threatened to overwhelm him.

Looking back at the wreck of the car, he silently thanked whoever it was that made sure he was still alive. 

He tried to turn his head, in an effort to better determine his situation, only to feel a sharp pain shoot through his neck.  He groaned, and took several deep, calming breaths, before slowly trying again. 

Turning around, he noticed the hillside where the car had rolled down. It was not that steep, but he knew it would take him some time to climb in the state he was in. Feeling around his pocket for his mobile, he noticed it didn't look too damaged, but there wasn't any signal.

Cursing under his breath, he began to make his way back up to the road. He needed to contact M; the sooner the better.

/*\\*/*\

Mitchell and Gettler stopped by the side of the road where the SUV Vesper had been riding in disappeared. Getting out the car, Mitchell made his way cautiously towards the SUV, which did not seem to have too much damage to it. Opening the back door, he saw Vesper starting to come round, the seat belt having protected her from being hurt too badly.  

"We need to get out of here. Now!"

Vesper opened her eyes and looked towards him. "Why did you come back?"

"White's not finished with you yet! Now get out of the car! We're on a tight schedule."

Undoing her seat belt, Vesper made her way across to the door, stepping over the agent who was next to her unconscious.

Mitchell pulled her, none too gently, the rest of the way out, causing her to stumble and her head to spin. She gasped in pain as he tightened his hold on her arm.

"You have another chance to prove yourself, Miss Lynd. Let's hope you don't fail."

He let go of her arm, and began to make his way back towards Gettler; Vesper having no other choice but to follow, shooting daggers into his back.

“Where are we going?"

He stopped and looked at her with a smirk. "Venice. We have a reunion to go to. Wouldn't want to keep Bond and M waiting, would we?"

/*\\*/*\

The white yacht sailed up the Grand Canal; Olivia taking snapshots on her camera of their surroundings. She still couldn't believe she was here with James of all people. She felt his eyes on her, and turned to look at him.  Seeing the smile on his face, she couldn't help smiling back.

"Keep your eyes on your steering, James. I would rather we didn't sink because you were too busy staring at me rather than what you were doing."

"Your trust in me is duly noted."

She turned away from him, and looked toward the market that they were currently passing to see the range of foods on the various stalls surrounded by crowds of people.

Placing the camera on the seat, she made her way to James.

"So, have you ever steered a yacht, Olivia?"

"What? Of course not. Cars are fine, anything else…" her voice trailed off as she shrugged.  

"I think it's time you learned." He smirked.

"Don't be ridiculous."

He reached out and grabbed one of her hands, while keeping the other on the wheel.

"There's nothing to it."

She narrowed her eyes, but let James guide her so she was standing in front of him.

"Put your hand where mine are."

Feeling silly, she did what he asked, feeling him slide his hand out from under hers, then quickly placed his hand on top of hers; repeating the action with their other hands.

"Relax your hands," he whispered in her right ear.

"You better not move from that spot, James."

"I'm right here, Olivia."

She relaxed slightly against him as he assisted her in navigating the yacht. It wasn't as difficult as she first thought, but then James was the one mostly doing the work. She couldn't deny it was nice having him close and pressed up against her, and she smiled when she felt him press a kiss to her temple.

She was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't feel James' hands leave her own, or the fact he had taken a few steps back away from her, essentially making her the one steering them.

"You're doing great."

"Well, it's mostly you…"  She realised his hands were no longer on hers and his body wasn't as close.  "You bastard."

He simply laughed, as he came back toward her.

"It's on auto, Olivia."

She turned around and whacked him on the arm, while still keeping one hand on the wheel.

"You mean to tell me, that you have been standing here looking like you know what you're doing when it's been left to a machine?"

"Sometimes, but other times I am actually steering." He wrapped his arms around her waist, and rested his head on her shoulder.

"I'm glad I know I'm in safe hands, then, James."

"Damn right you are. I would never put your life at risk."

"I know, James. But if anything does happen to me. I want you to think with your head rather than be motivated by revenge."

He lifted his head from her shoulder, and turned her so she was facing him.

"Nothing is going to happen to you, Olivia. I'll make sure of that."

"You can't be with me twenty-four seven, James. I need you to promise me that if anything happens, you do it by the book."

James didn't like it, but he couldn't deny her anything. "I promise."

"That's all I ask." She cupped his face in her hands, bringing his lips down on hers in a lingering kiss, then rested her head on his chest.

James held her close, trying not to think about the consequences should anything happen to her. She was safe. White was in custody and Mitchell was with Tanner. It was just the two of them.

"Go and get your things ready, Liv. We're docking in ten minutes."

"Let me guess you need to steer." She looked up at him, smirking.

"It would help, and I wouldn't trust the auto." He winked.

"Maybe I should have Q branch install an auto mechanism in all your cars. That way they might come back in one piece."

"Now where's the fun in that?"

"For you maybe. You're not the one that has to do the paperwork."

"Paperwork was never my thing. I prefer a hands on approach." His hands made their way under her blue silk blouse, and softly caressed her warm skin.

"Mm… I thought you might."

After another kiss, she left his embrace and made her way to the cabin to pack some clothes for them. She wondered how Tanner was. She hadn't heard from him since he had called her yesterday. The feeling didn't sit too well with her; she hated being left out of the loop, but she knew Tanner could handle it. Or so she hoped.

Placing the essentials they would need into a bag, she zipped it closed, then made her way back to James, noticing he was just pulling into the harbour.

"Told you we would make it in one piece."

Olivia rolled her eyes as he killed the engine, and moved to tie the yacht to the dock. Once he was satisfied it was secure, he took the bag from Olivia, and grabbed her hand as they left the yacht.

Olivia looked at the grand building they’d walked to from the harbour, then looked to James. "You can't be serious. Do you have any idea how much staying here will cost?"

"Money isn't an issue. Besides it's only a ten minute boat ride to St Marks Square."  James smiled lopsidedly, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Stop worrying and enjoy yourself." 

Olivia turned back to the building. She had to admit it would be a nice change. It wasn't everyday she could just whisk herself away to Venice or anywhere else for that matter.

"Come on, the sooner we get checked in, the sooner we can explore."

She saw his eyes light up even more at the prospect. "Venice or me, James."

"Both." He placed his hand on her lower back, as they made their way towards reception.

"How do you know if they will even have any rooms free?"

"I don't. But luck has been on my side so far these past few weeks."

"It certainly seems that way." She smiled.

Making their way through the doors, Olivia looked around the lounge area, taking in the gold and red décor.  A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and various paintings were hanging on the walls. There were some guests sitting round the various tables, and in red and gold plush chairs that were scattered around the room. She couldn't recall being in a hotel as extravagant as this back in London, even the one in Montenegro seemed plain in comparison.

James noticed her looking around the room, and couldn't help smiling. "Wait here. I'll see if they have any rooms available."

"All right." She watched as he approached the desk, hoping they would be able to stay here. Even if it was just for a night.

She spotted a group of six business men sitting around one of the tables having what she guessed was a business meeting. Two were about James’ age, while the other four appeared to be in their late fifties. The younger one on the left looked up and over toward her, giving her a smile.

She looked away, back toward James, watching as he took their room keys from the receptionist, then made his way back towards her.

"Told you luck was on my side." He held up the two key cards.  "Room is ours for four nights."

"And how did you manage that?" She raised an eyebrow.

"My charm, which now I know works on men."

Olivia bit her lip to stop her smirk from breaking free. "Should I be worried about competition?"  She looked over at the desk to see the young man checking out James' arse.

"If anyone should be worrying about that, it's me."

She looked to where he was staring, noticing the same man was still looking at her. Only this time his smile had disappeared.

"That may have been my doing. I was curious about what they were doing, and he caught me staring."

"Well, it seems two men will be seriously disappointed today."

He took her hand in his as they headed towards the elevator.

"Which floor are we on?"

"Fifth." He pressed the button to call the lift.

Entering the lift when it arrived, James pushed the button for the fifth floor.

"I think they like the colour gold." Olivia looked around the lift’s interior.

"What gave it away?"

She looked up at him with an unimpressed expression on her face, which only made him laugh as the doors opened.

They exited the lift, and walked along the corridor, stopping when they reached the door to their room.  

"I bet there will be gold décor somewhere in here,” James said as he unlocked the door.

Opening the door, Olivia sighed, when she saw the gold headboard.

"I bloody knew it."

"At least that's all there is that's gold."

James walked into the bathroom, turned on the light, and smirked. "Then again, maybe not."

"What?" Olivia joined him; noticing the gold taps, and gold design on the marble tub. 

“Do you think it's real? We could make a fortune."

"I did not come on holiday for you to steal from hotels, James."

"Worth a try." He switched off the bathroom light, then turned to watch Olivia as she moved over to the bed, and sat down.

"Do you think the walls are soundproof?" She bit her lip, looking at him suggestively.

"Only one way to find out." He advanced towards her with a grin.

/*\\*/*\

Downstairs, the man at the table who had been looking at Olivia, watched as the couple made their way towards the lift. Pulling out his mobile, he found the number he was looking for.

"They're here."

**_"Good, you know what to do. I'll contact you once we arrive."_ **

Hanging up, he looked around at the other five men sitting around the table. "It's time."

He then looked towards the man behind the reception desk, catching his eye and giving him a nod.

The clock was slowly ticking.

 


	19. The Captured Queen

* * *

Tanner crawled his way up to the road. The adrenaline had long since worn off, his body growing more riddled with pain with each movement he made. He looked up, noticing he had a few more feet yet to go. Even if he could contact M and Bond that White had escaped, he didn't know how he was going to get agents or himself there on time.

The sound of a car approaching made him to stop. If it was White's men, he didn't stand a chance. Looking up, he could see a red Alfa Romeo pull up to the side of the road. He waited with baited breath for the inevitable that was surely to come.

"You certainly know how to get yourself into a state."

He sighed in relief at the French accent, grabbed the outstretched hand, and was helped to his feet.

"You know me, Mathis. How did you…?"

"Know where you were?"

Tanner gave a nodded, regretting his decision when he felt his world spin.

"Easy." Mathis kept an arm on him to keep him steady. "I have been following you for some time, but kept my distance. My men should be arriving, if not already at M and Bond's destination."

"Your men?"

"White is not the only person who has eyes and ears everywhere, Mr Tanner. The man you bought the yacht from is one of my associates. There is a tracker attached to it, which has allowed me, and more importantly my men, to follow them. I will say this though, your Mr Bond knows how to spoil the ladies."

Mathis helped Tanner the rest of the way up the ditch. Tanner released a sigh of relief as he reached the hard concrete of the road.

"What about the other agents?"

"I checked on them, they didn't make it."

"And Vesper?"

"Gone.  No doubt White and his men took her with them."

Mathis opened the car door, and helped Tanner inside.

"Mitchell is working for them."

"M's personal bodyguard?"

"Yes," Tanner replied, still slightly breathless.

"Then they're in deeper trouble than we first thought."

Mathis’ phone rang just then, and Tanner listened, wondering who the Frenchman was speaking to.

"Good, you know what to do. I'll contact you once we arrive."  Hanging up, he looked back at Tanner.  "It seems our couple have finally arrived. Buckle up, it's time we ended this."

He closed Tanner's door before getting in the drivers side, then started up the car.

"What about the deceased agents?"

"I called your personnel at Six, and informed them of what was happening. They are sending a team to this location to take care of matters. I also asked them to send agents to Bond and M's location."

"How long will they take to get here?"

"Three hours."

"They won't be there quick enough. Give me your phone. We need to warn them."

Mathis handed it to him, and put his foot down, hoping they would get there before it was too late.

/*\\*/*\

** Near Tronchetto car park - Venice **

White smirked as M's tracker finally stopped in the one position. Dialling Gettler's number he waited for the man in question to answer.

"We've got a location. Meet us in Tronchetto car park. Was Vesper alive?"

**_"She was. We'll be there in fifteen minutes."_ **

Hanging up, White looked at the signal which was flashing at Hotel Cipriani.

"I don't think our Mr Bond could be more extravagant if he tried," he murmured aloud.

His driver pulled into Tronchetto garage, and quickly parked the car. Stepping out, White noticed the garage was mostly empty apart from a few cars. They would take public transport to Venice then rent a yacht to the hotel.

Fifteen minutes later, the silver SUV with Gettler, Mitchell, and Vesper parked next to them.

Mitchell stepped out first, followed by Vesper. White took in the woman's appearance. There were a few cuts marring her face, but apart from that, there were no other visible injuries.

She may yet prove useful this time round, White thought to himself, if she manages to distract Bond long enough for them to capture M.

"How are we playing this?" Gettler asked White, locking the car.

"We'll take public transport to Venice. Then rent a yacht which will take the three of you to the hotel. Miss Lynd will wait at the reception while Mitchell and Gettler will take the back entrance. I'll meet you in St Marks Square, and we will go from there."

"What makes you think they will use the back of the hotel?" Vesper crossed her arms across her chest as if to protect herself.

"Well, Miss Lynd, when Bond sees you he will think Mitchell is with you, and no doubt he will try to smuggle M out the hotel another way."

"And if this doesn't work?" Gettler asked.

"We go to plan B?"

"Which is?" Vesper asked, fearing she already knew the answer.

"We kill them, Miss Lynd," he told Vesper with a smile.

/*\\*/*\

** Hotel Cipriani – Venice **

"Do you think the walls are soundproof?" She bit her lip, looking at him suggestively.

"Only one way to find out." He advanced toward her with a grin.

Stopping in front of her, he reached out for her hands, pulling her up from the bed and into his arms.

"But first, there is something I want to ask you."

"Oh, and what would that be?" She looked up at him, smiling.

"Have you ever thought about marriage?"

Her smile disappeared.  “It never occurred to me that I would be in a relationship at my age.” She felt the words catch in her throat. “Let alone marry.”)

"But if you were asked, would you?" He searched her face for any sign of what she was thinking.

"It would depend."

"Depend on what?"

"Who was asking?" Her mouth had grown dry; it was one topic she hadn’t expected to ever hear from James. 

"So if I asked you, would you?"

She pulled out of his embrace, and turned her back to him, trying to get her emotions under control.

"No.  Not while I'm still your boss, James. It would be problematic, and if we were found out it could end in disaster for both of us. Not to mention it's too soon."

"Olivia, look at me."

She sighed, and turned to see a look of understanding on his face.

"I didn't mean right at this moment. I meant after we retire.   You've said it yourself on more than one occasion, we can't do this job forever. However, when that time finally comes, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, if you'll have me?"

"Are you positive that's what you want, James?"

"More than anything, Olivia. I’ve already told you, whatever is left of me at the end of this job, I'm yours, and always will be."

She felt her eyes fill with unshed tears.

"Then my answer will be yes."

A relieved smile spread across his face, and he tugged her back into his arms, then kissed her tenderly, forgetting about everything else around him. 

"I've got something else for you," he softly told her, as the kiss ended.

"Which is?"

"You'll see," he said mysteriously. 

Olivia gave him a bewildered look, as he walked over to the bag she had packed for them earlier, and unzipped one of the side pockets. When he turned around, she noticed the black velvet box in his hand.

"James…"

"I wanted to get you something to make it not official shall we say, so you know I'll always come back to you."

He held out the box to her, trying to keep his hand steady as she took it from him.

"Open it."

She opened the box to reveal an elegant white gold bail diamond necklace. The diamond was small in size, but still noticeable to the eye.

"A ring was my first choice, but I decided it would ask too many questions. So, I settled on the necklace instead."

"You would be right there."

"Do you like it?"

She gave him a loving smile. "I do. Help me put it on."

Removing the necklace from the box, she handed it to him, then turned around.  She felt James’ body against her back as he put the necklace around her neck and fastened the clasp.

"Let me see," he whispered against her neck.

Olivia turned back around, the diamond catching the light as she did so.

"Beautiful."

"The necklace or me?"

"Both." He captured her lips in another kiss, and pulled her against his chest as he guided them toward the bed.  Olivia stumbled when the backs of her legs bumped into the side of the bed, and they tumbled onto the mattress, James landing on top of her.

"You all right?" James noticed her eyes were closed, as her body shook with silent laughter.

"I'm fine." She opened her eyes to be met with James' own eyes which were filled with amusement.

"Eager are we?"

"You could say that. What do you say we take it to the next level?"

"Are you sure?" He searched her face for any doubt.

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't. I want you, James. All of you."

He knew it had been a while since she had been intimate with anyone, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

"I trust you, James."

It was all he needed to hear, as he resumed kissing her slowly, with renewed passion, enjoying the feeling of Olivia's body flush against his own.

Their moment of bliss was broken by the sound of Olivia's mobile, and James groaned.

"If that's Tanner, I'll kill him," James told her breathlessly, as the moment was ruined.

"It might be important, James. If it isn't, then you can kill him."

He smirked, and placed one last kiss to her lips, then moved to the side so she could get up to answer the call.

Seeing the caller ID, she quickly answered it.  "Tanner, this had better be important."

Olivia looked over to James who had propped himself against the pillows, arms resting behind his head.

"What? Hang on I'm putting you on speaker."

**_"White and Vesper have escaped! It seems Mitchell was in on it from the start!"_ **

"How the hell did that happen, Tanner? You had a handful of agents!" James sat upright, on suddenly alert.

**_"We were ambushed! No doubt Mitchell told White's men of our plan!"_ **

"Are you all right?"

**_"I'll live, but the both of you need to keep low! They're heading to your location!"_ **

"How long?" James tried keeping the anger from his voice.

**_"I don't know! I'm heading to your location with Mathis! Agents have been dispatched, they should be in the area in three hours!"_ **

"That's not good enough, Tanner!"

" ** _Mathis has men stationed in your hotel. Hopefully that will be enough until agents arrive!"_**

A knock on their door, had James reaching for the gun in the bag they’d brought with them, before he slipped off the bed.)

**_"What's happening, M?"_ **

"Someone's at the door. I'll have to call you back."

**_"Ma'am…"_ **

She cut the connection, and stood up from the bed.

James looked at her, and motioned with his head towards the bathroom. Olivia nodded, and took the phone with her.

"Who is it?" James called out once she was safely in the bathroom.

"Someone who was hired to make sure you come out of this alive." The voice was Italian. One James didn't recognise.

Pulling back the safety of the gun, he slowly opened the door to see the same young man he saw downstairs at reception.

"I was sent by Mathis."

"Prove it."

James watched as he took the phone in his hand, dialled a number, then handed it to him.

**_"Hello?"_ **

"Tanner?"

**_"I take it you've met one of Mathis’ men, then, Bond? You can trust him."_ **

James lowered his weapon, and moved aside to let him in.

"Where's M?" the man asked, noticing she wasn't in the room.

"Here."

He turned to see her walking out of the bathroom.

"Then you know about the situation?"

"Yes, but I didn't catch your name?"

"Marc Alessandro."

Olivia noticed he was alone. "Where are the other men who were with you?"

"They are positioned throughout the hotel, Ma'am."

"Hopefully they will be enough until my agents can get here."

She looked over to James who had just ended the call, and tossed the phone back to Alessandro.

"Tanner is going to contact us when he is nearly here. Now what I want to know is how Mathis knew we were here?"

"He has your yacht tracked. The man who you purchased it from also works for Mathis. We have been following you since you left the recuperation centre."

"A head's up would have been nice."

James marched over to the hotel window, and looked down into the courtyard below, looking for any sign of Mitchell, Vesper, and White.

"Mathis didn't want you to know, saying you had a knack of disappearing off the radar."

"How did White know we were here?"

"That I do not know. Unless this Mitchell overheard you talking or…"

"Shit."

James looked to Olivia who was pulling a ring off her finger. "It's got a built-in tracker. It was how Mitchell found us when Le Chiffre took us captive. I forgot to disable it."

"It's too late for that now, Olivia."

"So, what? We just sit here?"

James walked over to her, and took the ring from her hand.

"No. Is there a back way out of this hotel?"

"There is a fire exit that leads into one of the alleyways. Why?"

"Because we're leaving. And you're coming with us."

James went into the bathroom, and left the ring on top of the sink.

"Are you sure about this?" Alessandro asked, knowing it could end badly.

"It's better than waiting around for them. They know we're here."

"So, if you leave the tracker here…"

"We'll be long gone." Bond holstered his gun in the waistband of his trousers.

"And where are we going to go, James?"

"St Marks Square. It's busy. Chances of them finding us will be slim."

He saw the uncertainty in her eyes. "You told me you trusted me?" He reached out, and took her hands in his. "So trust me with this."

"All right, we'll do it your way." She nodded.

He turned to Alessandro. "Let's go."

The three of them left the hotel room, with Alessandro leading them to the fire exit that would hopefully get them away from the hotel undetected.

/*\\*/*\

** St Marks Square - Venice **

White watched from St Marks Square Harbour, as the yacht that contained Gettler, Mitchell, and Vesper sailed towards Bond and M's hotel. The plan was simple: Vesper would be the distraction for Bond, while Gettler and Mitchell took care of M. Their new relationship would be their downfall; both of them would no doubt try and protect the other should one of their lives be on the line. He thought Bond would be beneficial to Quantum, but he realised that he could gain more from M. If she agreed to work for him, then he would let James live; if she didn't he would kill them both. Once he had the money, and the head of MI6 in his possession, he would enjoy seeing Bond lose everything.

/*\\*/*\

** Hotel Cipriani – Venice **

Alessandro led them down the stairwell, though going through the fire exit, they would have to pass reception to reach the back of the hotel. It was a risky move, but if they wanted Bond's plan to work it was the only way. Reaching the ground floor, Bond went first, looking around the reception area to ensure the area was clear.

Looking around, he noticed guests entering and leaving the hotel, cursing when he saw a familiar woman walk up to the reception.

"They're here."

"What?"

"Vesper is at reception, which means Mitchell is nearby."

He looked at Alessandro. "Make sure she gets out of here. I'll go to take care of Vesper."

"James, be careful."

"I'll call you when it's taken care of. Go to Marks Square, and I'll meet up with you both there."

Alessandro looked away as James kissed Olivia, promising he would find his way back to her.

"Keep her safe."

"You have my word, Bond."

"Now go."

James watched them go, before heading toward Vesper, determined not to let her escape this time. He would take care of her himself.

/*\\*/*\

Alessandro and Olivia managed to reach the alleyway,  their relief short-lived, as a single gunshot rang out around them. She watched, as Alessandro collapsed to the ground with gunshot wound to the chest.

"Leaving so soon, Ma'am?"

She looked over to see Mitchell standing there, fury overtaking all her other emotions. Feeling hands grab her arms, she tried to break free from the strong hold the person had on her. 

"We can play this two ways, M. You come with us- "

"Like hell I will."

"Now, now let the man finish." The man's hold on her arms tightened, making her wince slightly.

"I would listen to Gettler, M. It's in your best interest."

"What is?"

"As I was saying, if you come with us, then Bond lives. Resist and we kill not only you, but him as well. So, what will it be?"

M fixed Mitchell with a glare of hatred.  

"Clock’s ticking, M."

She recalled Mathis’ words earlier, remembering how he had told her they would use their relationship against them to get what they wanted. It seemed he was right. Neither option was appealing, but if it kept James alive, maybe there would be enough time for him to find them.

"If I go, how do I know you won't just kill him anyway?"

"Because White has plans for you, M, and he knows the only way he can get you is if he let's Bond live."

"Why me?" She didn't like where this was going.

"I'm sure you will find out soon enough. So, your decision?"

"You already know my decision, Mitchell, so let's finish playing games shall we?"

"You've made the right decision, M.” He turned to Gettler.  “Take her to the yacht."

Mitchell watched, smiling as Gettler took M away. By the time Bond found them they would be long gone. Vesper had fulfilled her purpose, so they would leave her to Bond. No doubt he would kill her; one less problem for them to be concerned about. Looking at the body of the man that was with M, he walked over to see he was still alive. Taking aim, he fired another shot through the man's skull. Satisfied, he holstered his gun, then quickly followed after Gettler and M. The quicker they got away from here, there would be less chance of Bond finding them. It was almost poetic, and he would love to see the look on Bond’s face when he found out that the woman he loved agreed to go with them just so he could live.

Stepping onto the yacht, he went into the cabin to see M sitting on one of the yacht’s sofas with Gettler watching over her.

"Let's get out of here, Gettler."

Mitchell watched Gettler leave, and took a seat across from his ex boss.

"You were my personal bodyguard for five years. How did you pass your tests?"

"I thought that would have been obvious M. White has people in the highest areas of government. It was easy for them to modify my files."

"Why?"

"White offered me more than you or Six ever could."

"And what's that? Money?"

"Partly." He sat back, and watched in amusement at seeing the fierce head of MI6 defeated.

“I hope it was worth it, Mitchell, since you won’t have to worry about Bond or Six getting their hands on you, because I will kill you myself.”

"They'll have to catch me first, M, and I can't see that happening anytime soon. Can you? Face it, M, you've lost. With you out of the picture, the minister can finally get rid of Bond, and MI6 will be under Quantum's control."

"And you think people will follow their orders?"

"They will have no alternative. You see, M, people will do anything for someone they love. You proved that mere minutes ago

"So what, you'll threaten their loved ones so they obey?"

"Perhaps."

Olivia felt the yacht start to pull away from the harbour, and knew she would have to go along with what they wanted until she found a way to escape, because it seemed James' luck had finally ran out.

 


	20. Vesper's Warning

* * *

Bond approached Vesper, and roughly dragged her away from the reception desk, into one of the first rooms he came across. Pushing her inside, he closed the door behind him.

"James…"

She watched as he turned towards her with a look of hatred, which caused her to take a step back to put more distance between them. 

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't just kill you." He tried to keep his voice calm.

"Because they have M! And if you kill me, you have no way of knowing where she is."

"I know full well where she is."

"You're predictable, James. White knows this. He sent Mitchell and Gettler to the back entrance."

Bond looked for any sign that she was lying, but realised she was telling the truth.

"I was a diversion, one which you fell for. I hoped to get to you in time to warn you -"

"Where are they going?"

"They are taking her to White." She winced in pain as James grabbed her upper arms, shaking her.

"Where?"

"St Marks Square. They need her to withdraw the money from the Venice branch. After that I don't know of their plans."

He let her go, not caring what happened to her.

"James, I can help you."

"Do you actually think I would trust you?"

"No, but unless you want to see M again, you have no choice."

James knew she was right; much as it pained him to admit it.

"Fine, but if you go behind my back I will kill you."

Not waiting to see if she would follow, he opened the door, then ran from the room, and outside to the hotel's courtyard. Looking around, he spied one of the yachts had just left the harbour.

"Bond."

He turned at the voice, seeing an older man in his fifties running towards him.

"One of Mathis' men?"

The man gave a nod. "Alessandro is dead. Two of my colleagues saw two men drag M to one of the yachts. My men are following them."

The man noticed Vesper come up behind Bond, and was about to draw his gun when Bond stopped him.

"She's on our side for now."

The man gave him a dubious look but didn't question further.

"We need to get to St Marks Square."

"I've already arranged it. Follow me."

Bond pushed Vesper in front of him. "Walk."

He kept his eyes on her as they followed the older man; hurrying to one of the yachts. He refused to think about the worse case scenario. He would get Olivia back, by any means necessary. He just hoped he or Mathis’ agents were not already too late.

/*\\*/*\

Olivia looked discretely around the room to see if there was anything she could use as a weapon.

"You're wasting your time, M." Mitchell smirked, knowing his old boss too well.

"The same could be said for you. Do you honestly think White or Quantum will give you what they promised? I don't know why I even bothered hiring you as my personal bodyguard. It's obvious you're too thick to tell when you are being played."

The blow came before she even realised what had happened.

"It won't matter what you think! You'll soon be out of the picture!" he threatened her.

Olivia looked at him in defiance, her cheek stinging where he had backhanded her. If he thought he could intimidate her he could bloody well think again.

"Now you have to resort to violence, Mitchell. You're less of a man than I gave you credit for."

Mitchell clenched his hands into fists, trying to keep his temper in check.

"If White didn't want you, M, I would enjoy killing you. Slowly"

Olivia felt the yacht come to a stop.  

Mitchell smirked.  "I think it's time we go and meet the man himself, don't you, M?"

He grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her from the sofa, pushing her in front of him.

M fixed her clothes, and walked up the cabin stairs, and looked around to see Gettler docking the yacht to the dock.  

"Mitchell, I see you both made it back in one piece."

Olivia turned to see a man, who appeared to be about the same age as her, standing on the dock smiling at them.

"And I see the lovely Olivia agreed to your demands."

She felt Mitchell push her forward toward the man she assumed was White, held out his hand for her to take.

"I think I can manage!" She ignored his offer, and stepped up onto the dock.

"I see the stories you told me about her, Mitchell, are true." He looked at Olivia, admiringly.

"Your picture never did you justice. I can see why Mr Bond couldn't resist you."

"Quantum members aren't really my type."

"We'll have to see about that."

White turned to Mitchell and Gettler. "Make sure your eyes are on us at all times. Any sign of a threat eliminate it."

Turning back to Olivia, he wrapped an arm around her waist, and held her tightly to his side. "If you so much as alert anyone around you, darling, your precious Bond is dead. Do you understand?"

"He's survived more than you can imagine, Mr White. I think it's you who should watch your back."

White started to guide them toward the main square of St Marks with Mitchell and Gettler following at a slower pace.

"Perhaps, but he will have to catch me first. That is, if he doesn't get himself killed in the process."

Olivia looked at the people round about her. No one seemed to be giving them any attention, and why would they? They must look like a married couple there on holiday. The thought made her feel nauseous. They passed through the square as White took them to the bank. She knew which building it was before she was even remotely close to it.

"Once we are in the bank, you will give them the account number, and then withdraw the funds."

"And then what?" Olivia asked, as they stopped outside the bank.

"That, my dear, you will find out quite soon. But first- you have a withdrawal to make."

Olivia glowered at him, hearing the smugness in his voice.

"After you."

Olivia walked through the doors of the bank, with White following after her. He wouldn't put it past her to try something, she wasn't the head of MI6 for nothing. She may have appeared to be compliant, but that did not make her any less dangerous.

She made her way over to one of the counters, White at her side, and tried to return the smile the teller on the other side gave her.  

"What can I help you with today, Ma'am?"

"I would like to withdraw funds from my account."

"Certainly. If you write down the account number I can carry out your request."

She nodded, then took the slip and pen, and wrote down the account number, aware of White watching her every move from beside her. Handing it over, she watched as the teller typed the number into the system.

"Everything looks satisfactory.  How much would you like to withdraw?"

"All of it."

"Very well.  If you’ll wait here, Ma'am, I will be back in a few minutes."

"Thank you."

She watched him go,  then turned to White.

"Satisfied?"

"It's not over yet."

He moved away from her, and looked towards the entrance of the bank, nodding at Gettler and Mitchell who were standing outside by the door. She turned back to the counter, noticing a small letter opener on the other side. Sliding it towards her, she discretely slipped it into the sleeve of her cardigan.

The teller returned a few minutes later with a silver case. 

"Here you are, Ma'am."

Olivia took the case from him.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No, that's everything, thank you."

He smiled. "Have a good day, Ma'am."

White slipped his arm around her waist once again, and guided her out of the bank.

Once outside he took the case from her. "That wasn't so hard was it?"

"You've got the money, so you can take your hands off me."

"I don't think so."

She shot him a look of disgust, and let White lead her down an alleyway next to the bank.

"I thought we were leaving."

"Oh we are, but do you really think I'm stupid enough to leave the same way we arrived?"

The alleyway led to an open courtyard with abandoned buildings surrounding them that seemed to be under construction. Olivia noticed the yacht in the distance, and she had no doubt that was where they were heading.

They never managed to get much further when the sound of running footsteps, and gunfire surrounded them.

 


	21. Venice Showdown

* * *

The two agents followed Mitchell and Gettler at a reasonable distance, trying not to lose track of them. Once they reached the main square, they separated to blend in with the crowds while keeping a discrete eye on their targets.

They watched as White and M stopped outside the bank, as they seeming to get into a disagreement. Once M was inside the bank, one of the agents pulled out his mobile and pressed his speed dial. He waited a few moments before a gruff voice on the other end answered.

**_"Have you got them?"_ **

"They’re inside the bank."

**_"Shit!  Keep an eye on them, we are just pulling into the harbour, and will be at your location in a few minutes."_ **

The agent hung up, and looked over to his partner, and nodded his head.

Looking back over to the building they saw White and M walk out with the case in hand, then saw White take it from her. He cursed as they started to head down the alleyway next to the bank.

/*\\*/*\

James paced the deck of the yacht, willing it to go faster. He looked in the direction, they were heading, noticing they were only a few minutes away from the harbour.

The sound of a mobile ringing caught his attention, and he turned to the older agent. He could feel his stomach tightening, wondering what was happening. From this side of the conversation, it didn't sound good. James looked at Vesper who was sitting on a wooden bench, her head bowed into her hands. He didn't feel any pity for her; she got herself into this mess.

"Bond."

James looked at the older agent, waiting for the news.

“They’re inside the bank, and most likely in the process of withdrawing the funds.”

"I don't give a fuck about the money! All I'm focusing on is Olivia! Call Mathis, and tell him to meet me at the bank when he arrives!"

The yacht pulled up to the dock, and then he turned to the older agent. "Keep an eye on her!"

"Let me come with you, James."

"So you can escape? I don't think so!"

"I'll watch her,” the older agent said.  “Be careful, Bond, and good luck."

"I make my own luck." He stepped off the yacht, and ran in the direction that would lead him to the main Square.

"Bond! They've went down the alley." One of the agents in the square told him, when he caught up to them.

"You two follow me."

He ran in the direction the agents told him, and spotted Mitchell's figure turning the corner. Pulling out his gun from the waist band of his trousers, he released the safety, and quickened his pace.

As he turned the corner, the two agents on either side of him, Bond could just make out White, who had his hands on Olivia, before he opened fire on Mitchell and Gettler.

"Go after White and M, Bond! We'll handle these two!"

Although Bond wanted to take care of Mitchell himself ,he knew the other man was right. He would deal with him later.

/*\\*/*\

Olivia felt White try to drag her from the courtyard towards the yacht. They were about to cross the bridge when Olivia heard James' voice behind her.

"Let her go, White!"

White turned, pulling M with him, and held her in front of him, using her as a shield when he saw the gun in James’ hand.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet the agent himself.  I've heard a lot about you. Loyal lap dog who has a certain disregard for the rules. And let's not forget the fact you are in a relationship with your boss here. I wonder what the minister would say should he ever find out."

Olivia looked at James, keeping her attention him, as she felt White's mouth close to her ear.

"I can't say I blame you, she really is quite something." White smiled coldly.

James clenched his jaw, as he kept his gun aimed at White. The only thing stopping him from pulling the trigger was the fact that Olivia was in his line of fire.

He watched as Olivia slipped something out of her cardigan sleeve, giving him a subtle nod. 

"It's a shame you won't be able to find out!" she told him in a calm voice.

She plunged the letter opener she had taken earlier from the bank into White's thigh; he screamed in pain. Pulling away from his weakened grasp, Olivia grabbed the case from him, and moved out of James' line of fire.

James pulled the trigger.

A painful laugh escaped White when no bullet hit him.  “If you’re going to shoot someone, Bond… make sure your gun doesn’t jam.”

James grabbed Olivia's free hand, as they left White, and made their way from the bridge, only to come upon Mitchell aiming his gun at them. James pulled them behind a pillar as Mitchell fired, the bullet narrowly missed them.

James looked around the pillar, seeing that Mitchell's attention was diverted as by one of Mathis’ agents fired at him.

"Now is our chance."

Tightening his grip on her hand, he quickly navigated them to another alleyway, and along the stone path only to be met with another courtyard.

"Now where?" Olivia tried to get her breath back.

James didn't have any time to answer her as they heard the sound of footsteps coming in their direction. Spying an open door on a nearby building, he pulled them inside. Olivia looked at her surroundings for another exit, but instead she found that the building's floors had been removed, and in their place were large inflated yellow balloons to stop the building from sinking.

"This is comforting," she whispered to him.

He turned her around gently, keeping his hands on her shoulders.  "Get to the main square, then go to the harbour. One of Mathis’ agents is waiting there with a yacht."

"And what are you going to do?" she asked already knowing it would be something foolish.

"Take care of Mitchell."

"James…"

"I'll distract him, which should give you enough time to get to the harbour. I can do my job better knowing you're out of the line of fire."

"All right. Just remember, James, to think with your head rather than with your emotions."

He noticed the start of a bruise on her cheek, and turned her head to the side.

"It's fine, James." She brushed off his concern.

"Just focus on coming back to me. Preferably alive."

"I promise." He placed a kiss on her forehead.  James looked out the building noticing the area was clear.  "Go."

Olivia nodded, and started to leave the building when she was pulled back by James, as a bullet narrowly missed her.

"New plan."

Olivia shot him an unimpressed look, as they moved further into the building. At the sound of footsteps getting closer, Olivia pulled them towards a skeletal frame which used to be a stairwell. The two of them quickly eased their way up the steps to the top floor, where James dragged them into the shadows.

"Your little companions put up a good fight, but sadly they lost. How many more people have to die for you, M?" Mitchell's voice echoed through the building.

"How do we play this, James?"

The two of them watched, as both Mitchell and Gettler searched the top floor looking for them. James noticed Mitchell about to pass an old elevator cage, and smiled.

"Wait here."

Olivia watched, as James remained in the shadows as he approached Mitchell. It was then she realised what he had in mind.

"There is nowhere to go, Bond." Mitchell taunted him.

James stepped out of his hiding place. "I wouldn't be too sure of that."

He took the butt of his gun, and delivered a blow to Mitchell's head, knocking him to the ground. Reaching down, he grabbed Mitchell's gun, and was about to deliver another blow, when he heard Olivia's voice shouting for him to move.

Bond twisted away just in time to avoid the blade in his back. He grabbed Gettler, and both of them tumbled off the floor, falling through the void, only to find themselves landing on the balloon two floors below. Gettler's knife pierced the rubber surface as they landed, causing the air bag to split, and they both plummeted down another floor.

James heard a loud creaking noise, and seconds later felt cold water rushing around him, and realised the building was beginning to sink.

Looking for Gettler, he saw the man running at him; James moved out of the way, the blade narrowly missing him but ripping his shirt instead.

He felt the house tilt, bricks and support struts falling around them. He looked up just in time to leap out the way of a ceiling beam as it smashed into the now knee deep water where he stood.

Gettler, seizing his chance, stabbed the knife into Bond's shoulder. Bond screamed out in agony.  

"I'm going to kill you." He twisted the blade, James closed his eyes.

"Then…" He yanked out the knife.

James grunted, taking deep breaths he tried to block out the pain.

"I'm going to kill her."

James opened his eyes, and saw a shard of fallen timbre floating in the water.

"Not if I kill you first!"

Grabbing the shard, he quickly turned, and stabbed it through Gettler's throat, watching with satisfaction, the shocked expression on Gettler's face as blood poured out of the wound, staining the water red.

/*\\*/*\

** St Marks Harbour - Venice **

Vesper watched as the agent guarding her continued to speak on the phone to Mathis; her eyes on his every move, as she cursed James for leaving her behind.

She felt her own phone vibrate in her pocket, the one that Mitchell had handed her outside the hotel. Taking it out, she read the message.

_'White is on the yacht at the destination discussed. Meet him there.'_

Placing the phone back in her pocket, she looked around to see some spare rope on the deck used for docking. Grabbing it, she wrapped the ends of it around her hands.

Standing up, she approached the agent whose back was to her just as he finished the call. Wrapping the rope tightly around his neck, she clenched her teeth as the agent struggled, trying to break free from her hold.

Pushing him forward against the cabin wall, his face collided with the surface, and she pressed a knee into his back, and pulled the rope tighter.

She watched as the man gasped for air, his struggles lessening, before stopping all together. Releasing him, she watched his body slide to floor, his lifeless eyes staring up at her.

Dropping the rope, she smoothed down her clothes as if nothing had happened, then left the yacht, and quickly made her way to White's location before Mathis arrived.

/*\\*/*\

** Sinking Building - Venice **

Olivia looked down trying to make out any sign of James, when she felt the building tilt, and debris start to fall around her. She took a few steps back, as she heard a beam give way from the ceiling, and fall down the same pit James had.

She was so busy focusing on trying to avoid the debris that she didn't see that Mitchell had got back to his feet, swaying slightly.

"There is no way out, M."

Olivia looked over at Mitchell, and looked around for anything she could use as a weapon. Noticing the nail gun, she picked it up, and aimed it at him.

"You wanted to kill me, M. Now is your chance." He took a slow step toward her.

Olivia fired the nail gun, watching as the nail missed its mark.  

Mitchell laughed.  "You're going to have to do better than that."

The creaking got louder, as Olivia fired three more shots from the nail gun at Mitchell; two missing their mark, while the other embedded itself in his arm, stopping him in his tracks.

She tried to fire again, but cursed when nothing happened.

Mitchell pulled the nail from his arm, tossing it to the side.  "You're going to pay for that, M."

He advanced toward her.

 Olivia threw the nail gun at him as she tried to get away, only for Mitchell to grab her, which made her drop the case containing the money.

The building tilted once again, and the two of them stumbled, allowing Mitchell to gain the upper hand as he pushed her against the metal gate of the old elevator.

She groaned pain as her head collided with the rusting metal, which left her disorientated.

"You know? I think I have a better idea."

She could just make his smirk through the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm her.

"I think it would be more satisfying if James slowly watches you drown."

Olivia felt him pull her away from the grate, and then she was thrown into what she guessed was the elevator cage, her body connecting with the back of it, as she sank to the ground.

"I thought White wanted me alive?" She tried to clear the fog from her brain.

"He does! But I'll be glad to inform him just how you took a bullet for Bond, killing you in the process."

"He will kill you, Mitchell! And if he doesn't, James will." She informed him, trying to keep her eyes open.

"We'll see! Enjoy your last moments, M. Oh, and I should probably enlighten you. Vesper isn't the innocent victim she made out to be."

"What…?"

"She is a good actress, I'll give her that. She found out that Yusef was blackmailing her. So, she killed him. White found out, and was going to have her killed. That was until he found out she had been stealing funds for herself over a period of time. He offered her a job with us, which she readily accepted, as you are well aware. She was informed to use Yusef as the cover, should you or Mathis ever find out."

He looked through the elevator door at the crumbled woman, and smirked.

"It was so easy to manipulate you, M. She told you what you wanted to hear. She wasn't stupid. She knew you, Bond, and MI6 would be listening in, and watching her every move. The blackmail story was true to an extent. White threatened to report her should she refuse his offer."

Mitchell locked the elevator cage, and threw away the key.

"We all wear masks, M. Some are just better at hiding their true selves than most."

Picking up the case that contained the winnings, he gave her one last look, before making his way over to one of the windows, climbing out, and jumping into the canal below.

Olivia felt bile in her throat at hearing the creak of the old elevator cable about to give way. She could feel the darkness start to cloud her vision. She used the rest of her strength to call out for James before her body succumbed to unconsciousness.

 


	22. James' Lament

* * *

"JAMES!"

The sound of Olivia's distressed voice had him racing to the top floor, dodging debris as he went, while the water continued to rise. Reaching the top floor, he looked around, noticing there was no sign of Mitchell.

Walking along the landing, he felt his heart stop when he saw the familiar body slouched in the elevator cage; unmoving.

He reached the cage in two strides, calling out to her, trying to get her to wake up, as he tried to pry the door in desperation. The sound of the cable breaking him try harder. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he looked around for the key or anything he could use to try to pry the door open.

The building continued to crumble around him, and the elevator fell slightly; James knew he only had a matter of minutes, if not seconds to get her out.

Spying a pole to his right, he quickly grabbed it and placed it in the cage door, trying to make the metal lock give way. Pulling with his all his might, he could see the rusting metal starting to strain.

Grinding his teeth, he continued to pull; the lock finally released just as the cable snapped. James watched in horror, as the elevator dropped with Olivia still inside into the watery pit below.

/*\\*/*\

Mathis and Tanner arrived at St Marks, and headed in the direction of the yacht where his agent was with Vesper. They reached the yacht only to see Vesper gone, and the agent dead.

"Where do you think they are?" Tanner asked him frantically.

They heard the sound of sirens, and turning to look, they saw four police and two ambulance boats pass them.

"I don't know. But wherever they are going, that's no doubt where we need to be."

They followed after the sound of the sirens hoping they weren't too late.

/*\\*/*\

Not wasting any time, James dived in after the cage, chasing it below the surface, until it came to a stop at the bottom. Sliding the door open, he reached for Olivia, and pulled her from the elevator into his arms, then swam to the surface.

He looked at Olivia's limp body, knowing he needed to get them out of there fast. Finding a ledge, he pulled them both up on to it, as the building continued to collapse around them.

James started compression's on her chest to get any water she’d inhaled out from her lungs. He watched her face for any sign of her waking. It was some seconds, before she spat out some water, and James rolled her gently onto her side so she wouldn’t choke as she coughed up the rest.

Looking around for any way to escape, he spied an open window just below the surface that looked to lead outside.

"Olivia, I need you to hold your breath for me."

He saw her nod, telling him she understood. He jumped back into the water, and swam around to the side where Olivia was facing.

She reached out her hand towards him, and he gently pulled her back in the water.

"I'm going to count to three, and then I want you to hold your breath when I tell you. "

He softly counted to three, and Olivia held her breath as they dived below the surface, and James dragged them through the window, and out of the building.

Reaching the surface, James heard sirens approaching as he swam them both to the shore across from the still sinking building, and then eased Olivia up onto the cobblestones.

Pulling himself out of the water, he noticed she was trying hard to keep her eyes open.

"Olivia, you need to stay awake!"

"I'm tired, James." It came out faintly.

"I know, but you need to listen to me," he whispered, running his fingers through her wet hair.

Her eyes found his, and she tried to give him a smile.

James heard the sirens, and realized they were close, and looked behind him to see police and ambulance boats stop at the shore. Two of the paramedics hurried towards them with medical bags in hand. He looked back down at Olivia, noticing her eyes had closed once again.

He felt himself being pulled back from her as the paramedics looked her over.

"Do you know what happened?"

"I found her unconscious in the elevator. I tried to get her out, but the cable snapped and she was submerged in water for a few seconds. She was awake for a few minutes just before you arrived."

He watched as the paramedics quickly attended to Olivia, hearing one mutter something about a concussion as they continued to treat her, looking for any other injuries.

"Bond!"

James looked to see Tanner and Mathis heading towards him, only for Tanner to stop when he saw the paramedics attending to Olivia; a look of worry on his face.

"What happened, James?" Mathis asked him.

"Mitchell is what happened!" he told him, his voice laced with anger.

"Tanner, I need you to contact those agents to get them to hurry up. I want them looking for Mitchell."

"Bond, we don't even know where he is! And Vesper has disappeared as well." He took his eyes away from M, and looked at Bond.

"What?" he asked, turning to Tanner, hoping he had heard wrong.

"The agent that was guarding her was dead when we arrived. There was no sign of Vesper."

"She played me, and I fell for it." James clenched his jaw, and looked down at Olivia, as the paramedics loaded her onto a stretcher.

"What about White and the money?" Tanner had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"Olivia stabbed him in the thigh. After that I don't know what happened to him; he probably escaped. Mitchell took the money. There was no case in that building."

"So we have no leads to go on."

"Not quite. All the banks’ cases have trackers built into them in case they are stolen. And with M withdrawing such a large amount of cash it will be tracked." Mathis informed the two men.

"And how do we do that exactly?"

"Only the bank can do it…"

"Or Q." Tanner pointed out. 

"Call him!" James ordered Tanner.

"I'll do it, Mr. Tanner. You go to the hospital with Bond and M. You'll be no good until you get those injuries checked." 

Tanner handed him his phone. "The agents should be arriving soon..."

"I'll take care of it, Mr Tanner and will keep you updated. I'll meet you at the Hospital in a few hours." 

"Very well."

"And, Mr. Tanner. Make sure Bond gets his shoulder seen to."

The paramedics were ready to go, and asked James if he was coming.

"Which hospital are you taking her to?" Mathis asked the paramedic close to him.

"Hospital S.S. Giovanni e Paolo."

Mathis watched as the two men divided into the ambulance boats; James staying with Olivia.

Mathis looked through Tanner's phone for Q's number, and pressed call.

After a few rings he heard the annoyed elderly voice answer on the other side.

**_"If it's about Bond, Mr. Tanner I don't want to know."_ **

"It's Mathis. I need you to track a case full of money."

**_"Any reason as to why?"_ **

"Because as of now, Q, that money is currently in the hand of terrorists."

**_"Which bank system am I hacking?"_ **

"Venice Branch."

**_"Leave it with me, and I'll call you back when I have something."_ **

Mathis hung up, and looked to the now demolished building, wondering how they managed to get out alive. He walked back to the harbour to get a yacht to take him to the hotel Bond and M were staying at to meet the agents. Hopefully the agents would be able to help them find some leads.

/*\\*/*\

White watched as James dragged Olivia away from the bridge along with the money. Seeing Mitchell arrive, he used the distraction to stand up and hobbled to the yacht. He looked behind him to see Mitchell take out the agent as he ran towards him.

"Text Vesper, tell her to meet me here. I want you to bring me that money, and Olivia. Do I make myself clear?"

Mitchell nodded, and ran after Bond and M. He would make that bitch pay for what she did.

He finally reached the yacht, grunting in pain as he jarred his injured leg while trying to get on the deck. Hobbling into the cabin, he grabbed a towel, threw it in the sink, and turned on the water.

Taking the now soaked towel, he manoeuvred to the edge of the sofa, and looked at the letter opener in his thigh. It did not appear to be too deep.

Bracing himself, he pulled out the small knife, screaming in pain. Once removed, he tossed it to the side and stanched the wound with the wet towel, hissing as the wound was met with pressure.

He lost track of how long he sat there, when he heard footsteps coming down the cabin steps.

"Did you get the money?"

"Mitchell is currently on it."

Vesper moved closer, taking in the blood-soaked towel on White's leg.

"What happened?"

She grabbed another towel and quickly soaked it, then made her way back to White, slapping his hands away as she looked at the wound.

"You were lucky."

She pressed the fresh towel on the wound.

"I can thank Olivia for this."

Vesper disliked the woman, but she couldn't stop the stab of satisfaction at seeing White in pain.

"Where is she?"

"With James, but not for long."

Vesper was highly doubtful of that. She knew James wouldn't give up the older woman without a fight.

"This needs medical attention."

"I'm sure you can manage."

Vesper gave him a look of disdain as she told him to keep pressure on the wound. She took the first aid kit from the kitchen counter, and quickly got to work on bandaging his wound.

She has just finished securing the bandage when she saw Mitchell walk down the steps, soaked to the bone, case in hand.

"We lost Gettler."

"Pity, I was rather fond of the man." He turned to see Mitchell holding the case but there was no sign of Olivia.

"Where is she?"

"She took a bullet for Bond. If she survived I don't know. I didn't get a chance to check as the building collapsed around us."

"Is Bond still alive?"

"Yes."

White stood up, wincing. "Then no doubt he will be wanting revenge over the loss of his precious boss."

Mitchell handed the case over to White who smirked at hearing the sound of sirens in the distance.

"I think it's time we left before he finds us. Don't you?"

"Where are we heading?" Vesper asked White curiously.

"The airport. We have a flight to catch."

/*\\*/*\

James watched as they rushed M into the hospital, and continued to follow them only to be stopped in his tracks by one of the doctors.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you will have to wait here." It was then that the doctor noticed the darkened patch on his shirt.

"Are you injured?"

"I'm fine."

"He has an injury to his shoulder I believe." Tanner informed the doctor.

James gave Tanner an annoyed look as he heard the doctor call for assistance.

"If you are treating me, you may also want to treat him." James told the doctor, pointing at Tanner. Two can play at this game, he thought to himself.

The doctor nodded, and told Tanner to follow him, while James followed after the other. He was ushered into one of the accident rooms, and was asked to take a seat on the bed.

James just hoped the doctor was quick about it. He needed to see Olivia to reassure himself that she was going to be okay, but more importantly that she was still alive.

 


	23. A Life Lost

Mathis took the boat back to Bond and M’s hotel to meet the agents that had no doubt arrived at the location. There was still a cleanup operation that needed to be carried out, and he knew all too well how long it could take.  
      
If they had arrived here sooner, then perhaps all of this could have been avoided, and White would be in custody. He had lost his own agent's thanks to White and his associates, and SIS was nearly looking for a new head of MI6. Mathis had warned M, but it wasn’t enough. He just hoped Q managed to find a location on White so they could end this once and for all.  
      
As the boat pulled into the harbor, Mathis got off and walked up the path to the main entrance to the hotel.  Upon approaching, he saw the area swarming with agents trying to get the situation under control. Looking at the audience that had gathered, he could hear their protests with the majority asking what was happening, while others remained silent.  
      
“So much for espionage,” Mathis muttered under his breath. M was going to have her work cut out for her when she returned.  He could already hear her protests about the situation.  
      
 He stopped in his tracks when he heard someone call out to him. Turning to his right, he saw one of his agents. At least one of them was alive at least; he didn’t know how many he had lost until he saw the bodies.  
      
“Where are the others?”  
      
“We lost Alessandro. The others are helping M’s agents with details of what occurred. But we are missing Montagna, Beringer, and Forester.”  
      
“Forester is dead. We can thank Miss Lynd for that. As for Montagna and Beringer, I’m not too sure. Have you tried to contact them?”  
      
“I have Sir, but I’m getting no reply from either of them.”  
      
“Then they've probably met the same fate,” Mathis said regretfully. “Keep trying, and let me know if you hear anything. We need to recover Forester’s body and find both Montagna and Beringer.”  
      
“How do you propose we do that, Sir? Montagna and Beringer could be anywhere.”  
      
“I’m aware of that, which is why I need to speak to the lead agent in charge?”  
      
 “That would be Agent Conner. I’ll take you to him.”  
      
Mathis followed after the younger man into the hotel, where the reception was swarming with agents.  
      
“Did Bond manage to find M?”  
      
“Eventually, though the extent of M’s injuries I do not know,” Mathis informed his agent.    
      
“Let us hope it’s nothing too serious.” The agent mumbled, under his breath, but Mathis still heard his words.  
  
He hoped for everyone’s sake that it wasn’t the case. Bond would be out for blood, and he doubted anyone would be able to stop him.

/*\\*/*\

James lay in the hospital bed, the back of his shoulder cleaned stitched and bandaged. He thought it would be the last time he would be in one of these beds, well for a while at least. Moving to get more comfortable, he felt his stitches pull causing him to wince in pain.  
  
He pushed his pain aside and instead tried to focus on how Olivia was faring. He wanted nothing more than to see her, but his doctor had ordered him to stay put until she had given him the all clear. Two hours had passed since the doctor had carried out tests to see if there were any muscle and tissue damage. It wouldn’t surprise him if there were, after being shot in the shoulder a few weeks prior then being stabbed so soon after, he knew there was a chance there could be nerve damage. That’s all he needed. He couldn’t afford to be out of commission longer than necessary; he needed to go after White and especially Mitchell for what they had done. Vesper could wait, she would get what was coming to her. That was If White didn’t kill her first.  
  
He hoped at least that Mathis would be in contact soon with a location from the tracker in the briefcase giving them White’s whereabouts. If he didn’t, it would allow White to go once again off the radar. If that were the case, he would need to contact Felix and see if he had any information. The small holiday he and M had planned was over before it had begun. He should have known his plans for a peaceful holiday wouldn’t last long, not with his reputation. He was just relieved he hadn’t lost Olivia. Now he could understand why she was unsure of their relationship. She knew he would find it hard to keep his relationship separate from the job, especially when it was her life on the line. He wanted nothing more than to take his revenge on White, but he knew Olivia wouldn’t want him to be motivated by revenge. She would want him to play it by the book and take their relationship out of the equation, which was easier said than done.  
  
A part of him knew he should step aside and let another agent bring in White. He was too personally involved, but another part of him didn’t trust anyone else. White and Mitchell had made this personal. He would make sure he was the one to kill them.  
  
The sound of footsteps walking towards him caused him to come out of his thoughts as he saw Doctor Castro approach him. If there was any bad news about  Olivia,  she was hiding it considerably well.  
  
“Have you any news on Olivia?” James asked hoping that she had at least something she could tell him about her welfare.  
  
“She’s still unconscious and hasn’t shown any sign of waking. We have carried out a CT scan, and the results showed no sign of swelling in in the brain. We are monitoring her around the clock for any changes.”  
  
“But she will wake up?” James asked fearful for the answer.  
  
“It’s hard for us to say at the moment, but there is a strong chance that she will. We won’t  know the full extent of the damage until she regains consciousness.”  Doctor Castro told him softly.  
  
James felt this throat dry up of all sudden at the news; she had to wake up. He couldn’t lose her.  Not now.  
  
“When can I see her?”  
  
“When you’ve had some rest.”  
  
“I don’t need rest…”  
  
“You were stabbed in the shoulder that was still recently healing from a bullet wound! You were lucky there is no permanent muscle and nerve damage!”    
      
“I can still move my arm, can’t I? I’m fine.”  
      
The doctor gave him a disapproving look, which James ignored.  
      
“Look, are we done here?” He asked with annoyance as he continued to stare at the doctor with contempt.  
      
“No, we aren’t. If I find out you have left that bed or this room without my consent, I will sedate you for the remainder of your stay in this hospital. Are we clear?”  
      
“Well if that’s the case, I would like to discharge myself from your care.”  
      
“You are in no fit state to discharge yourself, Mr Bond.”  
      
“I’ve had worse. Trust me; If there were any more damage to my body, I would bloody well know.” Bond told her in annoyance, “Now, are you going to get me those papers, or do I need to get them myself?”  
      
“You are not going anywhere…”  
      
“It’s my decision, and you can’t keep me here!”  
      
“If you let me finish.” She raised her voice slightly, “I was going to say that You aren’t going anywhere until I have your discharge papers ready, which will be in a few hours after I finish my rounds. But until those papers are finalised, you are staying in that bed until I tell you otherwise.”  
      
James knew it was the best deal he was going to get. “Fine, but if you aren’t back in two hours, I’m gone.”  
      
“Mr Bond…”  
      
“Time is ticking, doctor,” he mocked giving her a forced smile at seeing the cold glare she was giving him.  
      
James looked away from his Doctor unfazed.  He had been on the receiving end of worst in the past, mainly from, Olivia. What he wouldn’t give to see her walk through that door like she had done when he was recovering after the torture from Le Chiffre. But it seemed this time; it would be him who would be walking through her hospital room instead.  
      
 He could feel still feel Doctor Castro’s eyes upon him, “Don’t you have other patients to see?” He calmly asked with a trace of anger in his voice.  
      
The doctor narrowed her eyes, before turning to leave his room. She could feel his eyes burning into her back with every step she took.  She wondered how anyone could put up with him, especially Olivia. She didn’t know the extent of their relationship, but it seemed that the woman meant a great deal to him.  
      
Closing James’ room door behind her, she continued on her rounds hoping he wouldn’t try anything stupid.

/*\\*/*\

James waited until Doctor Castro had left, then threw back the covers and got out of the bed. At least he didn’t have to worry about an IV this time around. Standing up, he looked down at the hospital gown he was wearing in disdain. Seeing his clothes on the chair, he noticed his polo shirt was ruined; the jeans were salvageable at least even if they were still soaked through with water. He would need to contact Mathis and have him collect his and Olivia’s things from the hotel.  
  
As he approached the door, he turned the handle, opened the door slightly and looked up and down the corridor. From what he could see, there were another ten rooms next to his own.  
      
He needed to find a change of clothes, to at least try and blend in.  He had no desire of being caught by Doctor Castro, so soon after she had left.  
      
Stepping out into the corridor he made a start on the daunting task of checking each of the rooms to his right in the hopes of finding a change of clothes and more importantly, Olivia.

/*\\*/*\

Mathis followed after Hutchinson, who led him to a man in his late forties, with black hair showing specks of white that was shaved close to his head. He wasn’t much taller than Mathis, and his south London accent sounded tired as he was speaking to three agents next to him.  
      
As if knowing he was being watched, Conner finished giving his orders to the three agents, before he turned and his chartreuse eyes bore into Mathis’ own.  
      
“You must be Mathis?” Conner took a few steps towards him, so they were standing face to face. “Give me one reason why I should trust you?”  
      
“If it weren’t for me, M wouldn’t know of White and Vesper’s plan. Then where would we all be?” Mathis told Conner calmly not letting the other agent intimidate him.  
   

“And I would like to remind you that I’ve lost two if not four of my best agents ensuring that your boss was safe!”  
      
“Well, it seems your agents did a lousy job! White and Mitchell still managed to evade capture!”  
  
“In case it escaped your notice, but it was thanks to one of your agents that was nearly responsible for not only the death of Bill Tanner! But who also put the life of your boss and Bond on the line. So, do not stand there and lecture me on lousy agents, Conner!”  
  
Mathis stared at Conner waiting for his next move. He wasn't In the mood to stand and argue with a pompous agent on who was to blame for what had happened, but he will be damned if he stands around doing nothing.  
  
“Forgive me, Mathis. But I needed proof that you are indeed on our side.” He held out his hand for Mathis to shake.  
  
Mathis narrowed his eyes, before finally reaching out and quickly shaking the other agent's hand before letting go.  
  
“What have you found?”  
  
“Truthfully, Mathis. We are just starting. I’m sure your agent here has told you we found the body of Alessandro?”  
  
Mathis gave a nod of his head, “Yes, I’m fully aware. I just hope it was quick.”  
  
“From what my agents have told me, it was a bullet to the skull,” Conner informed him. “Mitchell never was one for slow deaths.”  
  
Mathis looked over at the expensive hotel building which was supposed to be Bond and M’s haven for a few days but instead turned into their worst nightmare. Their relationship would now be out in the open for all of her agents to see. He could already see the committee and the Prime Minister, pulling her in for an inquiry about protocol. It seemed the couple could never be left alone.  
  
“I take it you are aware of…”  
  
“Bond and M’s relationship?” Conner smirked. “Yes, I’m fully aware having seen the CCTV footage and the check-in information.”  
  
“Then you will know that this could cause problems for M in the future?” Mathis stated. “She has already had to endure enough.”  
  
“Yes, I’m aware of the trouble M has had in the past from the minister and  the committee, which is why any evidence of them together will be destroyed once we have it analyzed.”  
  
“And what will the report say? The minister will know you are hiding something vital from him.” Mathis warned.  
  
“My report will say what I have observed.”  
  
“Which is?”  
  
“That M decided to take a short break, and she asked Bond to be her bodyguard for the duration of her vacation. Mitchell was overseeing the transfer of White and Vesper into MI6 custody when Mitchell revealed himself to be a traitor.” Conner calmly told him. “Wouldn’t you say that’s what happened? After all, it was you that informed us of Mitchell’s betrayal.”  
  
“That seems correct.” Mathis agreed satisfied that he could let M know that her relationship with Bond was still safe from the minister.  
  
“M stands by all her agents, Mathis, especially when the minister likes to interfere. This time we can repay the favour. We look after our own, and M has more or less proven that over the years.”  
  
The sound of Hutchison’s phone ringing, caused Mathis and Conner to look over at the younger man.  
  
“Excuse me.”  
  
They both watched as Hutchinson, walked a few feet away, before answering the call. They saw his eyes widen as he looked back over in their general direction while continuing to talk animatedly with whoever it was on the other line.  
  
It was a few seconds later before he hung up the call an walked back over to them.  
  
“Sir, Beringer is alive. We need to get agents to his location.” Hutchinson informed both men.  
  
“And Montagna?” Mathis asked having a feeling he already knew the answer.  
  
“He didn’t make it, sir.” Hutchinson regretfully informed Mathis.  “We need to get agents to his location.”  
  
“I’ll have a team sent along with some of your agents, Mathis,” Conner informed him, taking out his radio.  
  
“I appreciate it. I also need a few agents to recover Forester’s body.”  
  
“Where is he?”  
  
“In a yacht located in the harbor of St Marks. I’ll give you his mobile number, and you can trace his exact location. I also need to see Bond and M’s hotel room.”    
  
“Very well, I’ll have it arranged.”  
  
Mathis nodded in acknowledgment and turned to Hutchinson. “Did Beringer say how badly injured he was?”  
  
“Just that he was badly cut and bruised, but no life-threatening injuries.”  
  
“All right, make sure he seeks medical attention. We can’t afford to lose anyone else today.”  
  
“Sir.”  
  
Conner walked back over to them, “A team will be with you in a few minutes Hutchinson.” He informed the younger man before turning to Mathis. “I need your agent's details. Come with me.”  
  
Mathis followed after Conner to one of the stations that had been set up on site. He watched as Conner accessed one of the laptops, giving him Forester’s number watching as the satellite image on the monitor pinpointed his location.  
  
“I’ll send the information to a few of the agents who are with your man Hutchinson and to recover your agent's body. Perhaps they will find more evidence at the scene.”  
  
“I appreciate the help, Conner.”  
  
“Don’t mention it. If you’re ready, I’ll take you to Bond and M’s room. What is it you hope to find that my men won’t?”  
  
“Truthfully, I’m not looking for evidence. I need access to Bond and M's hotel room for some items to take to the hospital. If there are any new leads, do you think Bond will sit back and do nothing?”  
  
“Perhaps this time it’s in his best interest if he did. He’s too personally involved. We don’t need him motivated by revenge for what’s happened. It will raise too many questions.”  
  
“What kind of questions? Mathis asked curiously.  
  
“The committee and the minister already thinks M favours Bond over all her other agents. There have even been rumours that M is sleeping with him.” Conner kept his voice low. “Which obviously isn’t a rumour, but they don’t know that. If Bond goes on a manhunt intending to kill everyone who is responsible for M’s current condition, then it’s going to prove that their original theories were in fact correct. It could cause M more problems than what she already has to deal with.”  
  
“And what problems would those be?”  
  
“The minister has been looking for a way to revoke Bond’s license. It’s not exactly a secret round SIS. The only reason they haven’t done so is due to M.” Conner stated. “She is the only person standing in their way of getting rid of Bond for good. If he slips up, it falls back on M. They will look for anything to get her out of the equation. And when that happens…”  
  
“They can get rid of Bond as well.” Mathis finished finally realizing just how high the stakes were.  
  
“Exactly. If the minister manages to replace M, Bond is no longer safe. You need to make him see reason, Mathis.”  
  
“He won’t listen to me. The only person he listens to is M.”  
  
“Well, I’m afraid you’re going to have to make him listen.”  
  
“This is Bond we’re talking about Conner! If it weren’t for M being in the hospital or him injured, he would already be out there looking for Mitchell, Vesper, and White. Once we get a lead; there will be no stopping him.”  
  
“I know.” Conner agreed in defeat. “But he needs to control his anger and thirst for revenge, Mathis. It won’t do him, or M the world of good. He needs to play this one by the book. Otherwise, it’s game over.  And everything M has done for him over the years will have been for nothing.”  
  
Mathis found himself agreeing with everything Conner had said, but that didn’t mean James would listen. Once the wayward agent had an idea in his head, no amount of reasoning would get him to change his mind. He would see the task through until the end, even if it cost him his own life in the process.  


/*\\*/*\  


**Holding cells - MI6**   
  
Villiers sat on the bench of his small six by six cell, elbows resting on his legs, as he held his head in his hands. He had lost track of the days since he was locked away in his cell on the sub-levels of MI6. He had no idea why he was under suspicion having never spoken with Le Chiffre or his girlfriend. Tanner had questioned him constantly for hours In the hopes he would spill whatever it was he seemed to be hiding.  
  
He knew the ins and outs of the mission having organised most if not all of it himself, sharing most of the details with Mitchell. Other than that he had kept the mission under wraps, just as M ordered. But it seemed someone had set him up, and now he was paying for it.  
  
Looking around at the white walls of his cell, he was slowly going mad. No one had been down to see him since Tanner had brought him here.  
  
Standing up, Villiers walked over to the bulletproof glass door and looked out into the corridor seeing two agents standing at the main entrance to the cells.  
  
Everyone at MI6 viewed him as a traitor to Queen and Country; it was no wonder no one would speak to him. He had to prove his innocence, but he couldn’t do it locked up in here.  
  
He had informed Tanner he had contacted Mathis about the inconstancies with Miss Lynd’s file, which probably didn’t help his case. It was a blatant lie, one of which Tanner apparently found out.  
  
If he had just called Mathis once he looked though Miss Lynd’s file after having sent it to M, then perhaps all of this could have been avoided, and the matter cleared up. The only reason he hadn’t was due to the Prime Ministers special advisor contacting him, asking for an update.  
  
At the time he had thought nothing of it; merely assuming that the Prime Minister had wanted an update. It was only when Haines had told him to keep their conversation under wraps that his instincts should have told him something was wrong with the whole scenario.  
  
Now thinking back on it, it was slightly odd that Haines had contacted him just a few minutes after he had sent the file to M about Miss Lynd. It made him wonder if he had been keeping tabs on their searches. He should have told Tanner of their conversation but didn’t think the other man would have believed him. Now, he was locked up while Haines had managed to continue with his life and job as usual.  
  
He needed to get in contact with Tanner and tell him what occurred. Anything to help clear his name. His job would be no more, but right now none of that mattered. Tanner and M needed to know about Haines’ behaviour. It wouldn’t surprise him if he were apart of M and Bond’s capture, maybe even a member of Quantum, which Tanner had accused him of being apart of.  
  
He is brought out of his thoughts when he hears a group of voices at the top of the corridor where the two agents are standing guard. From the silhouettes, he could make out three men and one voice he thought sounded familiar.  
  
Feeling his throat fry up, he watched as the two agents who are standing guard walk away causes an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. Hearing the door to the cells open, he watches as the three men enter the corridor.  
  
Villiers kept his eyes on the three men as their footsteps echoed around him as they walked down the corridor. Taking a few steps back, he could feel his palms sweating as his nervousness and uneasiness grow as the men stopped outside his cell.  
  
“What are you doing here?” Villiers tried to keep the fear from his voice.  
  
“Now, is that any way to greet your visitors, Mr Villiers?” The man gave a grin seeing the fear in Villiers eyes, before turning to one of shorter men to his right. “Open the cell.”  
  
The shorter man gave a nod and stepped forward and starts to unlock Villiers cell, then took a step back to allow his boss to enter.  
  
The man looked around the cell unimpressed, “MI6 really should think of decorating in here. It’s all so very dull. Wouldn’t you agree Mr Villiers?” His brown eyes bore into Villiers steel blue.  
  
“I’ve had other things on my mind to notice.”  
  
“Ah, yes. I was quite surprised that your boss and her Chief of Staff would lock up such a loyal employee such as yourself.”  
  
The fear Villiers felt earlier was now replaced with anger, “You know why? It’s your fault as to why I’m here!”  
  
“True, and I appreciate you keeping our conversation a secret. So, I think it would be only fair that we give you something in return.”  
  
Villiers narrowed his eyes, “What makes you think I would take anything from you?”  
  
“I’m the only person standing between your freedom or a future locked up in this cell. So, it would be wise for you to take what I have to offer, Mr Villiers.”  
  
“And what is that exactly? A life of being corrupt and going behind the governments back? I would rather rot in here than take whatever it is your offering me!”  
  
“Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear Mr Villiers; I said I was the only person standing between you and your freedom. I didn’t offer you to work for me.” The man stated an evil glint in his eye.  
  
Villiers took a few steps away from him, feeling his back against the wall. The man’s words were finally making sense of what he meant. He looked around for a way out of the cell, but the only exit was guarded by the three men in front of him.  
  
“Do you think you will get away with this?” Villiers watched as the man reached into his jacket pocket.  
  
“Oh, I don’t think.” He pulled out a small razor blade.  “I know.” He smiled. You see, all it takes is to pay a few agents off, and they turn a blind eye.” He ran his thumb along the blade, testing its sharpness.  
  
“It’s your lucky day Mr Villiers. I’m in a generous mood. So I will make sure this is over with as quickly as possible. I can’t promise it won’t hurt because it most certainly will.”  
  
The helplessness returned, and Villiers knew there would be no way he was coming out of this encounter alive.  
  
“Hold him!” The man ordered his two colleagues who sprang into action.  
  
Villiers tried with all his strength to break free of the hold that the two men had on him as they dragged him over to the bed and restrained him, so he was laying on his back.  
  
He saw the man to his left, pull up the sleeve of his shirt, exposing his wrist. They were going to make it look as if he took his own life. The thought made him sick.  
  
He continued to try and struggle free, but the heavy weight of the man on top of him held him in place, while the other held his arm still in a tight grip.  
  
“Did you know Mr Villiers that the human body can retain on average 5.5 liters of blood? Hard to think that so much blood is needed for us to survive.”  
  
Villiers felt the cold blade pressed against the skin of his wrist, then a sharp pain causing him to scream out in agony.  
  
“Scream all you want Mr Villiers; there is no one here to hear you.” He whispered close to his ear, before repeating the action to his other wrist, causing another scream from the man on the bed.  
  
Villiers felt the weight from is chest lift, as a stray tear fell from his eyes as he felt the blood flowing freely from the cuts on his wrists.  
  
“Enjoy your freedom, Mr Villiers.”  
  
Villiers could feel himself become short of breath as he tried to lift his head, before falling back weakly against the pillow. Trying to keep his eyes open, he could make out his killer cleaning the blade with a handkerchief, then placed the razor blade in his hand.  
  
He felt the man’s warm breath near his face, causing some heat to the coldness that had begun to settle throughout his body.  
  
“It’s such a shame MI6 have lost another employee. First, it was Tanner, and then it was M, now you. The only Bond is left, and he will be joining all of you soon enough.”  
  
Villiers tried to speak, but no words would form.  
  
“Sh, don’t try to fight the inevitable Mr Villiers. You will eventually lose consciousness, and before you know it, you will be dead.”  
  
The man stood up and watched Villiers labored breathing as his eyes started to close. The blood had stained his pale skin, and sheets crimson, and the man couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across his face at his handy work.  
  
“Goodbye, Mr Villiers.”  
  
Villiers faintly heard the men leave the room and the sound of his cell being locked. The pain was starting to lessen and he knew he didn’t have much time left. The surrounding area was silent, as his breathing started to even out, before finally coming to a stop.

 


End file.
